Fair Grounds: Sunbean simply too good in Star Guitar

Sunbean has been all but unbeatable racing in Louisiana-bred competition. He lost his career debut by a nose late in the fall of 2012, but has since won eight straight statebred-restricted races, the latest a 2 3/4-length domination of five rivals in the $58,200 Star Guitar Stakes on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

Sunbean’s win in the Star Guitar was fitting. His owner-breeder, the Brittlyn Stables of Maurice and Evelyn Benoit, bred and raced Star Guitar, the richest Louisiana-bred ever. Sunbean, by Brahms, is a Brittlyn homebred, too. The Star Guitar was his eighth win from 13 starts and seventh win in a Louisiana-bred stakes race. The winner’s share of the purse pushed his bankroll over a half-million dollars.

Trained by Ron Faucheux, Sunbean was ridden by Richard Eramia, who let a pair of longshots, Hero Force and Easy Strike, go out to an easy lead in the 1 1/16-mile Star Guitar. Eramia, keeping Sunbean in the clear on the outside, bided his time as the front-runners set splits of 25.10, 49.66, and 1:14.03. Sunbean ranged up to the leaders without being asked as he turned into the stretch, and quickly opened daylight when urged along by Eramia. Huds Rebellion, splitting rivals at the three-sixteenths pole, tried to make it a race, but Sunbean had far too much left and won comfortably, stopping the timer in 1:44.24 on a fast track.

The heavy favorite, Sunbean paid $2.60. Huds Rebellion clearly was second best, and was followed home by Populist Politics, Hero Force, Johnny Handsome, and Easy Strike.