All eyes on Sunbean, Heitai on Premier Night

The body of work Sunbean and Heitai bring into the $1 million Premier Night program of Louisiana-bred stakes Saturday at Delta Downs is something to behold. Between them, the two horses have won 25 races – 20 of them stakes – and have banked $1.8 million. They are pillars of the Louisiana program, and they provide appealing bookends to the meet’s second-richest card behind Jackpot Day.

Heitai is up first Saturday night in the $100,000 Premier Night Sprint. The five-furlong race is the first stakes on the program and goes as race 2. Sunbean headlines the $200,000 Premier Night Championship, which is the night’s last of six stakes, going as the 10th on a 12-race card.

Sunbean went over $1 million in career earnings in his last start, when he captured the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds. He is sitting sixth on the all-time Louisiana-bred earnings list and could take over the fifth spot from Superior Storm on Saturday night. The horse’s success has long been appreciated by owner-breeder Brittlyn Stable and 32-year-old trainer Ron Faucheux.

“It’s extremely special to have a horse like him, a Louisiana-bred, especially being from Louisiana myself,” Faucheux said. “It’s just a pleasure to wake up in the morning and see him every day.”

PREMIER NIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (RACE 10)

Key contenders

Sunbean (Last 3 Beyers: 100-98-94)

* Sunbean will be seeking his fourth straight stakes win in a streak that started Nov. 1 at Delta, where he won the $100,000 Gold Cup for Louisiana-breds. Sunbean then defeated open company Nov. 22 in the $250,000 Delta Mile on the Jackpot undercard before capturing the Louisiana Champions Day Classic.

“He’s very consistent,” Faucheux said. “He always runs. I think he leaves it out there every time he runs.”

* Faucheux said Sunbean, who will be making his first start since Dec. 13, puts a lot into his training.

“He keeps himself fit through just daily training,” Faucheux said. “He’s all business on the track. Really, he’s just as consistent in the mornings as he is in his races, and I think that keeps him at top fitness. His fitness here should not be an issue.”

* Sunbean was a dramatic winner of the Louisiana Champions Day Classic, getting up for a neck win in the 1 1/8-mile feature at Fair Grounds.

“He missed the break, and he overcame it,” said Faucheux. “We expect him to break a little sharper. I think that was kind of a one-time thing last time.”

* Sunbean is 4 for 4 at Delta and the defending champ in the Championship.

* Richard Eramia has the mount from the rail in the seven-horse field that also includes the multiple stakes winners Populist Politics and Ide Be Cool.

One King’s Man (Last 3 Beyers: 100-98-99)

* He is moving back into the Louisiana-bred ranks after winning a $40,000 optional claimer at 1 1/16 miles Jan. 12 at Fair Grounds. One start prior, he finished a length behind Sunbean in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic.

* Miguel Mena has the mount for Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trainer Joe Sharp.

Heitai back on dirt for Sprint

Heitai is moving back to dirt after winning the $75,000 Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint at Sam Houston Race Park on Jan. 24. The race was over five furlongs, the same distance Heitai will be traveling in the Sprint at Delta. He won the race last season by five lengths with a Beyer Speed Figure of 104.

Gerard Melancon has the mount on Heitai, who will break from the rail for Rowell Enterprises and trainer Tom Amoss.

Perfect records on the line

Mr. L. S. Shoe and Bella Luna Sky will put their perfect records on the line in the night’s stakes for 3-year-olds. Mr. L. S. Shoe, who is 3 for 3, will be making his stakes debut in the $125,000 Prince, a seven-furlong race run around two turns. Bella Luna Sky, who is 2 for 2, goes in the $125,000 Starlet for fillies at the same distance.

** Our Quista will be seeking her third straight stakes win when she starts in the $150,000 Distaff.

** Fast City will attempt to win her fourth straight race when she starts in the $100,000 Matron.

** There also are four rich starter races on the program, with purses ranging from $50,000 to $65,000.