Super Fuse burns brightly

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Super Fuse lit the tote board while raising the antennae of bloodstock agents around the country when he won his maiden at odds of 33-1 at Calder on Aug. 3, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

Though a potential deal to sell the colt to the powerhouse connections of owner Edmund Gann and trainer Bobby Frankel fell through, owner Chris Thomas Olrick and trainer Richard Ciardullo Jr. hope racing the colt will bring them a significant windfall.

Coming off an authoritative 4 1/4-length victory in the Birdonthewire Stakes at Calder on Oct. 12 - for which he earned another 99 Beyer Speed Figure - Super Fuse looks like the one to beat in Sunday's $75,000 Huntington Stakes at Aqueduct. A field of nine was entered in the six-furlong Huntington, which has been won by the likes of Songandaprayer, Kelly Kip, and Texas Glitter.

Super Fuse has won three of his four starts and in his only loss - a fifth-place finish in the NATC Futurity at Delaware Park - he stumbled at the start.

"He fell on his face coming out of the gate from the outside post over there,' Ciardullo said. "Plus, there's a good possibility he wasn't physically fit enough for that race at Delaware. I gauged it as being a similar track as Calder and it wasn't. I think between both of those factors he had a legitimate excuse.'

His ability to race on the lead or from just off the pace gives jockey Carlos Gonzalez options breaking from post 8. The only unknown for Super Fuse is how he would handle an off track, which is likely to be the case on Sunday.

Huntington starters Silver Squire, American Mon, Second in Command, Buzzy's Gold, Dr. Walsh, and Gators N Bears have all won over wet tracks. Conservation finished second over a wet-fast track.

Silver Squire is also one of just two entrants with a win at Aqueduct, having won an allowance race on Oct. 25. While trainer John Kimmel has some concerns over Silver Squire's failure to change leads in two of his starts, Kimmel believes he's sending out a very talented colt.

"I think what makes a good horse a good horse is when you ask for a little extra it's there and it's there quickly,' Kimmel said. "He's got quick acceleration.'

American Mon enters the Huntington off a maiden win on Oct. 13. His final time of 1:09.63 in the slop is the fastest six-furlong time recorded by any of the Huntington runners. First Blush, who finished second to American Mon, came back to win his maiden at Aqueduct and is entered back here.

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