Louisiana-bred star Heitai retired

Heitai, who used his exceptional speed to become one of the all-time richest Louisiana-breds, has been retired, according to Frank Rowell, who bred and raced the horse with his wife, Barbara. Heitai is being let down at a farm near Evangeline Downs in Louisiana and in the next month will head to the North Texas town of Sanger. He will be a riding horse for the Rowell family and could delve into barrel racing, said Frank Rowell.

Heitai, a 6-year-old gelding, won 16 races from 36 starts for career earnings of $1,074,893. He ranks fifth in earnings among Louisiana-breds, according to a list maintained by the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association. Heitai won 12 stakes, including three editions of the Premier Night Sprint at Delta Downs, two runnings of the Louisiana Legends at Evangeline Downs, and the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint at Fair Grounds.

But the horse known as one of the region’s quickest also had success outside of the Louisiana-bred ranks, taking the inaugural, $300,000 Evangeline Downs Turf Sprint as well as the Duncan F. Kenner at Fair Grounds and the Frontier Utilities Turf Sprint at Sam Houston. He was retired following an uncharacteristic 10th-place finish in the $60,000 Costa Rising on March 26 at Fair Grounds.

“We decided, ‘Why not?’ ” said Rowell, 82. “Heitai has been wonderful to us. We had a good run. We enjoyed it.”

Rowell said that following the decision, Heitai was taken to the Louisiana farm of Brenda Landry.

“That’s where he was raised,” said Rowell. “We had him vetted out completely, found nothing serious at all.”

Rowell said Heitai’s digs in Texas will include a four-acre pasture. He will be in the care of Rowell’s grandson, Josh Wages, who owns a feed store. In time, the horse could run barrels.

“I told him it’s fine to use a western saddle on him, but I wouldn’t advise you to use spurs on him,” said Rowell. “Heitai had one way of running. Let him go or you lose. You try to rate him, you lose. He only had one way of going: Get as far ahead as he could.”

Rowell said Heitai’s talent first showed itself in a Delta Downs allowance in November 2013.

“When he won that race over at Delta by 18 lengths a couple of years ago, we knew we possibly had a racehorse,” Rowell said. “He still owns two track records at Delta.”

Rowell said Heitai won stakes for three different trainers –Tom Amoss, Karl Broberg, and Eduardo Ramirez. The horse is a son of Fusaichi Pegasus and is out of the Mr. Sparkles mare Sparkles of Luck.

The Rowells, who have reduced their Thoroughbred holdings, have a 3-year-old who will soon debut at Evangeline Downs.