__IN HIS FIRST TRY DOWN HILLSIDE TURF, EXCEED SPEED LIMIT RALLIES FOR 1 ¾ LENGTH WIN $63,000 SANTA ANITA ALLOWANCE FEATURE __

ARCADIA, Calif. (Oct. 10, 2022)—In his third start off a $25,000 claim in June and in his first try down Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course, trainer Michael McCarthy’s Exceed Speed Limit rallied powerfully late to take Monday’s $63,000 allowance feature. Ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli, Exceed Speed Limit, a 4-year-old California-bred gelding by Old Topper, got about 6 ½ furlongs down the hill in 1:11.61.

Unhurried while fifth and in the clear about four lengths off dueling leaders Cowboy Charlie, Lil Nas and favored Thorne House three furlongs out, Rispoli angled four-wide at the dirt crossing and drew clear late to win going away.

“I think this horse was maybe just a little unlucky a couple times when we stretched him out,” said McCarthy, who claimed Exceed Speed Limit on behalf of STD Racing Stable and Andy Miller on June 11 at Golden Gate Fields. “We tried the hill today and got a wonderful trip. I thought Umberto rode him beautifully. I think the cutback in distance is what he needed.”

Most recently seventh going 1 1/16 miles at the same California-bred allowance condition Sept. 3, Exceed Speed Limit was off at 8-1 in a field of eight statebreds aged three and up and paid $19.00, $5.20 and $3.60.

Bred in California by the late Jim Robinson, Exceed Speed Limit is out of the Ministers Wild Cat mare Angi’s Wild Cat and she now has five wins from 15 starts. With the winner’s share of $37,800, she increased her earnings to $144,082.

Attentive to the pace, Thorne House, with Abel Cedillo up, was off at 3-5 and paid $2.40 and $2.10.

A neck back in third was Big Hand, who was off at 26-1 with Drayden Van Dyke and paid $5.60 to show while finishing a head better than late running Brix.

Fractions on the race were 21.38, 42.90 and 1:05.58.

Racing resumes on Saturday at Santa Anita with first post time at 1 p.m.