Sham launches a new Derby campaign

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP)

Out of Bounds rallied in the stretch to beat 1-2 favorite Secret Circle by a half-length in the $100,000 Sham Stakes on Saturday, the first Kentucky Derby prep of the season at Santa Anita.

Secret Circle, who led briefly into the stretch, lost for the first time in four career starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert.

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There was another upset in the $150,000 San Pasqual Stakes when 7-1 shot Uh Oh Bango defeated favorite Tres Borrachos by 1-3/4 lengths.

In the Sham, 10-1 shot Out of Bounds with Garrett Gomez aboard ran a mile in 1 minute, 34.56 seconds and returned $22.60 for a $2 win bet. Gomez extended his streak of consecutive stakes victories at the track to four.

Secret Circle, last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Sprint winner, was a half-length ahead of third-place finisher Longview Drive. They were the only two stakes winners in the field of five 3-year-olds.

Trained by Eoin Harty, Out of Bounds is the son of 2001 BC Distaff winner Unbridled Elaine and Discreet Cat, the 2006 UAE Derby winner who never raced in the Triple Crown series. The colt is owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who races as Darley Stable.

Out of Bounds was fourth in his career debut at Santa Anita last fall and then won across town at Hollywood Park last month.

''He's a very big horse, but he's a gentle giant,'' Harty said. ''He's come around mentally as well as physically, and sometimes it takes a while for both to catch up.''

Harty has been on the Triple Crown trail before with Colonel John, who won the 2008 Sham Stakes and Santa Anita Derby. He went on to finish sixth in the Kentucky Derby.

''He's the closest thing to Colonel John I've had in a long time,'' the trainer said about Out of Bounds, whose next start is undecided but will be another of the upcoming Kentucky Derby preps at Santa Anita.

Secret Circle was stretching out to a mile for the first time after proving himself to be a good sprinter.

''He just got beat. He didn't shut it down,'' Baffert said. ''He wasn't exhausted when he came back, so it was a good experience for him. It was the first time he was able to rate off of horses. I think he got a lot out of it.''

Rafael Bejarano said Secret Circle showed a big kick at the top of the stretch, when he was battling Longview Drive for the lead.

''At the same time, he started looking at the horse on the rail,'' Bejarano said. ''My horse tried to stay close to him, and that's why he lugged in. That's when I started hitting him. He passed the inside horse but wasn't paying attention to the outside horse (Out of Bounds).''

Coming off the stretch turn, Gomez thought he was going to run right by Secret Circle.

''But this horse is just young enough to where he doesn't quite understand everything about the game yet,'' he said. ''I had to spank him a couple times to let him understand what I was wanting from him, and when I got into him a little bit he progressed and went forward.''

Baffert was noncommittal on his future plans for Secret Circle, owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, the trio who owned 2010 Preakness winner Lookin At Lucky.

Handsome Mike was fourth and Hierro fifth.

In the San Pasqual, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith guided Uh Oh Bango over 1-1/16 miles in 1:41.44. He returned $16 for a win bet. Skipshot was another 2-1/4 lengths back in third.