Fair Grounds: Sum of the Parts brings best early speed into Colonel Power
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
In the Duncan F. Kenner, a six-furlong dirt stakes last Saturday at Fair Grounds, the Karl Broberg-trained Heitai darted to the front from post 1 and led all the way on an inside-speed-favoring track. The favored Delaunay, trained by Tom Amoss, is a fast horse, but he wasn’t quick enough to wrest the lead – and control of the race – from Heitai.
On Saturday, in the $60,000 Colonel Power, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint, Broberg again has a fast horse drawn on the rail in Joe Hollywood. But this time, Amoss is confident his horse can make the lead: Sum of the Parts has so much speed that he led both the 2012 and 2013 runnings of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on dirt after an opening quarter-mile in about 21.40 seconds, and neither Joe Hollywood nor anyone else in the Colonel Power is likely to keep Sum of the Parts off the engine.
“Unlike Delaunay, those first three steps out of the gate, I’ve never seen a racehorse faster than him,” Amoss said.
Sum of the Parts has won twice on dirt, but his brilliance has proven more effective on synthetic surfaces and, more recently, on grass, over which he has won two straight stakes races this winter. Sum of the Parts led all the way in winning the Bonapaw at Fair Grounds in December, and on Jan. 25 at Sam Houston, he dueled through torrid splits before putting his pace rival away and winning by three-quarters of a length.
“He’s worked well since then, and he’s doing fine,” Amoss said this week. “I’d love a race without very much speed.”
The Colonel Power does have other speed, though. Along with Joe Hollywood, Bet Seattle, Marchman, and even Gantry will be forwardly placed. Gantry, made the 9-5 morning-line favorite over 2-1 Sum of the Parts, is easily the most accomplished of that trio.
One of the top dirt sprinters in the region the last three winters, Gantry is returning to turf for the first time since Brittlyn Stable privately purchased him from New York in 2011. There, Gantry ran one very strong race on grass, and his pedigree – by Pulpit and out of a Go for Gin mare – is stamped with turf.
“It’s a different option for us, and it could open up a whole new avenue with him,” said trainer Ron Faucheux. “I think now’s the time to try turf.”
Artest has the best recent form among the off-the-pace types, though two rallies against Sum of the Parts this winter have produced only fourth- and second-place finishes. Positive Side, a route horse returning from a layoff, also will race from off the pace, while Expecting Cash is overmatched on recent form.