Sunbean Shines in Premier Night Championship

Brittlyn Stable's homebred Sunbean used a quick turn of foot turning for home and went on to win the $200,000 Louisiana Premier Night Championship Feb. 1 at Delta Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel in stakes record time.



The Championship was the featured event on another edition of Louisiana Premier Night, which included 10 stakes races for Louisiana-breds and more than $1 million in purse money.



Ridden by Richard Eramia, Sunbean stalked the pace in the 1 1/16-mile contest before picking off the frontrunners and eventually the pacesetter Hit the Road Lee turning for home. When he reached the top of the homestretch, the 4-year-old gelded son of Brahms began to get clear and went on to win by four lengths. Hit the Road Lee held on for second as Populist Politics rallied from well behind to be third, another 3 3/4 lengths behind the top pair.



Trained by Ron Faucheux, Sunbean finished the distance over a fast track in 1:44.04, eclipsing the stakes record of 1:44.15 set by the legendary Star Guitar   when he won the third of his four consecutive Louisiana Premier Night Championships in 2011. Star Guitar was also campaigned by Evelyn Benoit's Brittlyn Stable and retired as the all-time leading Louisiana-bred earning Thoroughbred with $1,749,862.



The heavy 4-5 favorite in a field of nine, Sunbean returned $3.60, $2.80, and $2.40. Hit the Road Lee was worth $10.20 and $5.40, and Populist Politics paid $4 to show.



Sunbean's sixth stakes triumph improved his record to seven wins and two seconds from 12 starts amd earnings of $498,900.



In other stakes worth more than six figures on the night card, Heitai set a Delta Downs track record of :56.69 for five furlongs when the 4-year-old gelded son of Fusaichi Pegasus   zipped to victory in the $100,000 LAPN Sprint. Ridden by Diego Saenz for trainer Karl Broberg, Heitai has won or placed in 13 of 16 starts and earned $334,943 for owner-breeder Rowell Enterprises (Frank & Barbara Rowell).

Sittin At the Bar won her second consecutive race at Delta Downs in the $100,000 LAPN Matron for older fillies and mares. Sittin At the Bar was ridden by Colby Hernandez and is trained by Brett Brinkman. The daughter of Into Mischief   is owned by P. Dale Ladner and was bred by Spendthrift Farm. She has now won 10 of 17 starts, with three placings, and earnings of $666,896.



Cantrell Family Partnership's Tensas Harbor won the $150,000 Premier Night Distaff for jockey Mark Guidry and trainer J. Keith Desormeaux. The victory in the mile test for older fillies and mares was the fifth in 15 starts for the daughter of Broken Vow   who was bred by Curt Leake.



In the $125,000 LAPN Prince for 3-year-olds, Henry Ray Dunn-owned and -trained Ide Be Cool remained undefeated in five career starts, with jockey Chris Rosier in the irons. It was the third stakes victory for the 3-year-old gelded son of Ide   bred by Gulf Haven Farms.



Closing Report was impressive while taking the $125,000 LAPN Starlet for 3-year-old fillies. The daughter of Closing Argument   was ridden to victory by Rosie Napravnik for trainer W. Bret Calhoun. Bred by Brett Brinkman and Allen Chiasson, Closing Report has won three of four starts for owner Stephen R. Brown.