New Orleans. LA (SportsNetwork.com) – It may only be a $40,000 allowance race
but Thursday’s sixth race at Fair Grounds has drawn an excellent field of
seven for the 5 1/2-furlong turf event.
Breaking from the rail will be 2012 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint runner-up
Unbridled’s Note, the 2-1 second pick and a horse going for his first win of
the year.
Trained by Steve Asmussen for Mike McCarty, Unbridled’s Note was fourth in
last year’s Turf Sprint at Santa Anita as the 5-1 third choice less than two
lengths behind repeat winner Mizdirection. His most recent victory came last
December in Santa Anita’s Daytona Stakes on turf as the 3-2 favorite.
The 5-year-old was third on Oct. 31 in the Damascus Stakes on the Breeders’
Cup Friday undercard at Santa Anita. Back in February, Unbridled’s Note posted
consecutive fourth-place finishes in Santa Anita’s Arcadia and Joe Hernandez
Stakes. Sidelined until September, Unbridled’s Note came back with a ninth in
the Eddie D. Stakes. He has earned $665,517 from 20 career starts with five
wins, three seconds and five thirds.
Sum of the Parts, owned by End Zone Athletics and trained by Karl Broberg, is
the 9-5 morning line favorite coming off a front-running local win on Nov. 29.
The 5-year-old was claimed out of the race from longtime trainer Tom Amoss.
“We’ll see how he does,” Broberg said. “Hopefully he won’t regress in our
hands. It came up tough, but we may be the controlling speed.”
Sum of the Parts will be ridden by Chris Rosier from post 4 after breaking
from the outside post in his recent win. The 5-year-old has won nine of 25
lifetime starts for $876,189.
Gantry, owned by Brittlyn Stable, is the 5-2 third selection in the turf
allowance and will have Miguel Mena in the saddle from post 6. Mena fills in
for the injured Richard Eramia who was hurt on Nov. 29 after his mount, Atoof,
got spooked and threw the jockey after the day’s fourth race.
The 7-year-old gelding was unable to repeat in the track’s Thanksgiving
Handicap on Nov. 27 when he finished fifth out of seven. However, Gantry’s
last win came in the Colonel Power Stakes on March 15 over the same course and
distance. Gantry has won 10 of 26 career starts for $824,331.
Here is the field from the rail out: Unbridled’s Note, Robby Albarado, 2-1;
Rhetorical, Francisco Torres, 20-1; Voodoo Storm, Martin Pedroza, 12-1; Sum of
the Parts, Chris Rosier, 9-5; Win Lion Win, Kerwin Clark, 12-1; Gantry, Miguel
Mena, 5-2 and Solar Charge, Chris Landeros, 12-1.
Post time Thursday will be approximately 4:50 p.m. ET.
