Breeders' Cup Sprint: Sum of the Parts set to flaunt his speed

When the summer began, trainer Tom Amoss had the No. 1-rated sprinter in the country in Delaunay, a former claimer who capped off a six-race winning streak with an easy victory in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Sprint. But when Amoss returns to Santa Anita next month for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint, he’ll return with a familiar face, the speedy Sum of the Parts, who earned his way into the Sprint the same way he did a year ago, with a victory last Friday in the Win and You’re In Grade 3 Phoenix at Keeneland.

[BREEDERS' CUP CHALLENGE: Win and You’re In schedule and results]

Sum of the Parts finished fourth, beaten three lengths, after contesting the early pace with winner Trinniberg in last year’s Sprint. But Amoss is confident his horse can get to the lead even easier the second time around.

“When in form, like he is now, Sum of the Parts breaks from the gate like a Quarter Horse, just as he did in the Phoenix, which gives us a big advantage,” said Amoss. “Last year he broke from the rail and had to work a little bit to get to the lead in the Sprint. But don’t forget, he was a 3-year-old last year. He’s older now, has had a full year of development physically, and he’s going into the Sprint a fresher and sharper horse than the last time. I’m not saying we’re going to clear the field, there are a lot of class speed horses in these races, but he won’t have to work as hard as he did last year to get to the front.”

Amoss said he’d train Sum of the Parts up to the Sprint the same way he did a year ago, over the Polytrack at Keeneland, before shipping to Santa Anita the week of the race.

“I’m looking to give him just a couple of light breezes before going out there,” said Amoss, who trains Sum of the Parts for Klaravich Stables and William H. Lawrence. “With this last race under his belt, we’re right where we want to be with him in terms of fitness.”

Leandro Goncalves rode Sum of the Parts to victory in the Phoenix, and Amoss said he will ride in the Sprint.

As for Delaunay, he has returned to training with Amoss in Kentucky after being freshened following his fourth-place finish behind Justin Phillip in the Grade 1 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap this summer at Saratoga. The lost was the second straight for Delaunay since his easy triumph in the Churchill Downs Sprint.

“I said after he won that race at Churchill Downs that I wished the Breeders’ Cup was in two weeks because I knew how hard it is to keep a horse at that level and, unfortunately, with him that came to pass,” said Amoss. “He just had a lot of tough races and it caught up with him. But he’s doing well now and should be ready to run again sometime in November.”

The Phoenix was the first of two Win and You’re In races for the Sprint last weekend. The second, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Sprint Championship, was won by Points Offthebench, who outlasted Goldencents by a half-length for his fourth straight win. The result mirrored the finish of the Grade 1 Bing Crosby at Del Mar 10 weeks earlier.

Points Offthebench, who earned a 110 Beyer Speed Figure for his win in the Sprint Championship, will accept his free entry into the Sprint, according to trainer Tim Yakteen, although the status of Goldencents for the race remains up in the air. He is also a candidate for the Dirt Mile, said trainer Doug O’Neill.

O’Neill already has one confirmed starter for the Sprint, Private Zone, who earned himself an expenses-paid ticket into the race by virtue of his game victory over Justin Phillip in the Grade 1 Vosburgh.