Beau's Town best in Pelleteri

NEW ORLEANS - Beau's Town's connections hope their horse can become more than a regional sprint star this year, which is good, because Beau's Town is running out of competition in this part of the country.

Beau's Town easily won his seasonal debut Feb. 1 at Oaklawn Park, and Sunday he torched the best sprinters at Fair Grounds, winning the $150,000 by two-and-three-quarters lengths over Mountain General. Bonapaw was another length and three-quarters back in third, followed by Dr. Mike and Dash for Daylight. Beau's Town time of 1:08.83 for six furlongs set a stakes record.

A 5-year-old horse owned by Robert Beck's Coast to Coast Racing Fund and based at Oaklawn with trainer Cole Norman, Beau's Town now has won eight of his last 10 starts, though a fifth-place finish in the Grade 2 A.G. Vanderbilt Handicap last summer at Saratoga called into question Beau's Town's ability to match up with top-class sprinters.

"The question was after Saratoga last year whether he was a top notch sprinting colt," Beck said.

Beau's Town might be. Under jockey Jamie Theriot, Beau's Town took a brief early lead before Bonapaw came up on the inside to take command through an opening quarter-mile in 22.09 seconds. Bonapaw and Beau's Town raced head and head around the far turn, but Beau's Town took over turning for home with a quick burst, though he drifted into the center of the track as he made the lead.

"When I asked him in the turn he glanced at Bonapaw and went a little wide," Theriot said. "I straightened him up and called on him again and he gave me it all."

Beau's Town probably is headed to the Grade 3 Count Fleet at Oaklawn for his next start, but after that Beau's Town might need to go on the road to prove he can run with elite horses.

Said Theriot, "I think he's going to be the real deal this time."