A fresh Sumfun owns class edge

Sumfun had a three-race win streak snapped in his last start, the the $50,000 Temperence Hill at Louisiana Downs, but his fourth-place finish behind Greeley's Conquest was hardly a disgrace.

Greeley's Conquest won another stakes thereafter, then went on to finish second in a Grade 1 at Saratoga. Such a company line makes Sumfun stand out Saturday night in the $50,000 J.R. Straus Memorial at Retama Park.

The six-furlong race drew a field of seven sprinters.

Sumfun won two allowances and a Will Rogers Downs stakes race this past spring before running into Greeley's Conquest in the Temperence Hill on June 21. He was beaten 3 3/4 lengths by that rival, who returned in his next start to win the $75,000 Sprint at Prairie Meadows with a Beyer Figure of 102.

Sumfun, meanwhile, was freshened, as Greeley's Conquest continued to race, shipping to Saratoga and running second in the Grade 1 Forego. He is scheduled to run next to the Grade 3 Phoenix at Keeneland, while Sumfun is out to resume his winning ways in the Straus.

For his first start in three months, Sumfun has been working at Retama, where his trainer, Bret Calhoun, and his rider, Bobby Walker Jr., are winning races at a 42 percent rate together. Sumfun has tactical speed, and figures to be prominent from his rail post.

His chief rival could be Trouble Now, who won a $25,000 optional claiming sprint at Retama in his last start on Sept. 5. Eguard Tejera has the mount for trainer Bob Schultz