Sunbean to Defend Premier Night Championship

Defending champion Sunbean is back to defend his title in the $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship, the headline event during a full evening of stakes racing Feb. 7 at Delta Downs in Vinton, La.



Trained by Ron Facheux for owner/breeder Evelyn Benoit's Brittlyn Stables, Sunbean drew the rail in a field of seven for his 2015 debut. The 5-year-old son of Brahms is in search of his fourth consecutive win and sixth victory in seven starts.



Sunbean comes off a neck tally as the odds-on favorite in the Louisiana Louisiana Champions Day Classic Dec. 13 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The bay gelding, with 13 lifetime wins from 20 starts and earnings of $1,000,150, won last year's Premier Night Championship by a nose over String King. He ended the 2014 season with seven victories from nine tries.



Regular rider Richard Eramia is back aboard Sunbean, who was piloted by Corey Lanerie at odds of 3-10 last time. They will pack top weight of 125 pounds and will be heavily favored once again on Premier night, a series of 10 state-bred races for Louisiana-bred horses with more than $1 million in purses at stake. Sunbean is unbeaten in four races at Delta Downs.



Ken and Sarah Ramsey's One King's Man was placed second in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic after being impeded in deep stretch while finishing third, one length behind Sunbean. The Joe Sharp trainee came back to score a 3 3/4-length win in an open allowance/optional claiming race that was taken off the Fair Grounds turf Jan. 12. Miguel Mena takes the return call on the 5-year-old gray gelding by One King.



Speedster Ide Be Cool, fourth after setting the pace in the Super Derby (gr. II) last September, takes on older horses for the first time. Owned and trained by Henry Ray Dunn, the 4-year-old Ide   gelding won last year's Premier Night Prince by nine lengths. He has posted seven wins from 10 lifetime starts, and owns a 4-for-5 slate at Delta Downs.



Populist Politics, a well-beaten third in last year's Premier Night Championship, Productive Envoy, Louisiana Flyboy, and Galveston Harbor complete the field.



The Championship is race 10 on the program with a 9:54 CST scheduled post time.



Also back to defend her title is Tensas Harbor in the $150,000 Louisiana Premier Night Distaff for older fillies and mares at one mile. Cantrell Family Partnership's 5-year-old Private Vow mare scored by a head in last year's race, her first victory in six tries at Delta Downs for trainer Keith Desormeaux. The Distaff is race 8 on the card.



Three-year-old races on the program, each worth $125,000 at seven furlongs, are the Louisiana Premier Night Prince and Premier Night Starlet. Also on the card is the $100,000 Premier Night Matron for older fillies and mares at five furlongs, and the $100,000 Premier Night Sprint, also at five furlongs.