Delta Downs: Calhoun sweeps both sprints on Premier Night

Trainer Bret Calhoun ruled the sprint divisions Saturday night on Premier Night at Delta Downs, with Speedacious easily winning her second straight $100,000 Matron while Su Casa G Casa scored a mild upset in the $100,000 Sprint.

Speedacious, the Delta five-furlong track record holder, took up a perfect position early in the Matron, racing in third behind a pair of dueling leaders. Jockey Miguel Mena, who won four races in a row Saturday night, let Speedacious ($3.40) roll toward the front midway around the turn, and despite drifting out as she had in a recent Fair Grounds wins, Speedacious proved much the best, beating her old rival Little Polka Dot by five lengths. Winning time for the five furlongs was 58.19 seconds.

Calhoun sent out favored Bold Recruit in the Sprint, but after setting the pace to the top of the stretch Bold Recruit could not finish with his stablemate, Delta-loving Su Casa G Casa. Su Casa G Casa ($15) pressed the pace in second, and went on to a two-length win over Call, with Bold Recruit holding third. Ridden by Mena, Su Casa G Casa went five furlongs in 58.35 seconds.

Cajun Charlie deals Beanwah’smachine first loss

Cajun Charlie remained perfect racing over the Delta surface, coasting to a front-running score in the $125,000 Prince as Beanwah’smachine took the first loss of his career.

Making the lead under Tracy Hebert, Cajun Charlie set a decent pace while holding a clear lead throughout the two-turn, seven-furlong race. Zip Motion tried to challenge the pacesetter on the far turn but never really got close, with Cajun Charlie pulling away to win by 6 1/2 lengths. Brian House trains Cajun Charlie, who paid $10 and was timed in 1:26.62 winning a race restricted to 3-year-olds. Freddie One Bite finished third, while Beanwah’smachine, the even-money favorite, never got involved and checked in eighth after having won his first four races.

In the Prince’s filly counterpart, the $125,000 Starlet, Little Miss Protocol barely wore down pacesetting Bleu Darling, getting up by a neck in the final strides. The 2-1 favorite, Little Miss Protocol paid $6 to win and was timed in 1:27.80 for seven furlongs. Diego Saenz rode the winner for trainer Pat Devereux.

* Warrior Maid was cross-entered in the Matron and the $150,000 Distaff, and her connections chose the right race. Leading all the way under Eddie Martin, Warrior Maid ($14.80) held clear favored Lawyer Tiffany to win the one-mile race by three-quarters of a length.