Sunbean, Texas Chrome Standouts on LA Cup Day
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Photo: Hodges Photography / Ann Switalski
State-bred star Sunbean adds first grass win to stellar record in Louisiana Cup Turf Classic Aug. 6
Brittlyn Stable homebred millionaire Sunbean padded his stellar record when scoring his breakthrough victory on grass Aug. 6 in the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic at Harrah's Louisiana Downs.
The Turf Classic was one of six stakes for state-breds and seven stakes overall on the $450,000 Louisiana Cup card that also included Texas Chrome's victory in the $100,000 Super Derby Prelude, a listed race that is a prep for next monthʼs $400,000 Super Derby (gr. III) at the Bossier City track.
With Richard Eramia riding for trainer Ron Faucheux, Sunbean settled off the early pace along the rail, angled to the outside for his stretch run, and was up in time for a one-length triumph at 7-1 odds, adding a 14th stakes victory to his record. The 6-year-old son of Brahms, who covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.89, is out of the Malagra mare X Strawdnair.
Keene Thoroughbreds' grade III-placed Texas Chrome, a Texas-bred son of Grasshopper , denied 2-5 favorite Sharp Azteca in the Prelude, defeating that rival by a half length in 1:43.84 for 1 1/16 miles while earning a fifth stakes win.
In two stakes for Louisiana-bred juveniles on the card, Wilburn Smith homebred Gentlemengentlemen, a Yankee Gentleman gelding, took the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile by three-quarters of a length over Street Honor; and Bobby Salome's Chases Dixie Belle, a My Pal Charlie filly, posted a two-length win in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Other state-bred winners included Keith Plaisance's Calamity Jane (Cowboy Cal ) in the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Distaff, Brian Schweda's Greeley's Wish (Greeley's Galaxy) in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint, and Kathleen Amaya and Raffaele Centofanti's Look Into My Eyes (City Zip ) in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.