Nine Part powers home for another victory in Costa Rising

There is no stopping Nine Part, his trainer Bobby Felks or jockey Jose Ortiz from winning races this season at Fair Grounds.

Nine Part, who last month made a successful turf debut after going 4 for 5 on dirt to begin his career, came with a strong rally down the center of the turf course Saturday to outfinish Smash It and win the $100,000, 5 1/2-furlong Costa Rising Stakes by one length. Smash It, who prompted the early pace, was second by three-quarters of a length over Monsieur Candy.

In addition to this being the sixth win from seven career starts for Nine Part, it was the ninth win from 12 starts at this meet for Felks. It was the fourth win through eight races on Saturday’s card and the 91st victory of the meet for Ortiz, who will finish as the meet’s leading rider the second year in a row.

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Nine Part (86 Beyer Speed Figure), who had issues at the gate early in his career, broke well enough from the rail on Saturday. Ortiz let him settle into sixth position, about 3 1/2 lengths off a three-ply speed duel ahead of him. Monsieur Candy came away from that pace battle with the lead in the stretch, but a confident Ortiz bided his time, got Nine Part ($3.40) out into the clear in upper stretch and he powered home the winner for his first stakes victory.

“It’s very nice to ride a horse like this, unfortunately last year he had a tendency to break slow and that cost him when he got beat at Louisiana Downs, if not he would be undefeated,” Ortiz said in post-race interview aired on the Fair Grounds simulcast. “Nice to see him taking to the turf well.”

Despite his early success, Nine Part was away from the races for nine months after he got beat at Louisiana Downs last May 15.

To hear owner Keith Plaisance tell it, Nine Part needed the break and certainly benefitted from it.

“Talking to Bobby yesterday, he said he’s training the best he ever did from last year to where he was undefeated going into that Shreveport race,” Plaisance said. “Very proud of him, very proud of Bobby for doing his job. He’s the silent guy of the operation who never wants to talk but he’s where it’s at; great percentages this meet.”

Felks and Plaisance will be favored to end the meet Sunday on a winning note when they send out undefeated Synthetic in the Ova Charged Stakes for female sprinters on turf.

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