Monte Man targeting Louisiana Cup Sprint repeat

The reigning Louisiana-bred of the Year will likely see action this summer at Louisiana Downs.

Monte Man was named the state’s top runner of 2018 by the Louisiana Thoroughbred Breeders Association in April, and in his first start since won Saturday night’s Louisiana Legends Sprint at his Evangeline Downs base. He’s now a candidate for the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Sprint at Louisiana Downs, trainer Ron Faucheux said Monday. The six-furlong race for 3-year-olds and up is Aug. 3.

“I’m pretty sure we’ll run him at Louisiana Downs,” said Faucheux, who trains Monte Man for Ivery Sisters Racing. “We may try to look somewhere before that, possibly out of state.”

Monte Man won five stakes last year while going 6 for 7 overall. He closed from next-to-last for a three-quarter-length win in the Louisiana Legends Sprint, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 83 for covering 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:04.02.

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“I thought it worked out well – looked like he ran his race,” said Faucheux. “He didn’t really break too sharp, but really got into it. He had to go a bit wide, but was able to get up. We’re very pleased.”

Monte Man was a $25,000 claim at Saratoga in 2017 and since moving to Louisiana has gone 9 for 12, including a string of seven straight wins from December 2017 through November 2018. During his streak he won last year’s Louisiana Legends Sprint, as well as the Louisiana Cup Sprint.

Faucheux will have another consistent sprinter in action Wednesday night at Evangeline, where Hunker Down figures to start as a strong favorite in an optional $10,000 claiming race for 3-year-olds and up that also carries $5,000 starter allowance conditions.

Hunker Down defeated similar at this six-furlong distance in his last start May 4 at Evangeline. He closed from last and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 81 – the best last-race number in the field Wednesday.

“He’s such a cool horse – just his running style,” said Faucheux. “He’ll just gallop along early on and knows when it’s time to go – shows that big-time turn of foot.”

Hunker Down, who was a $5,000 claim in November, used his closing kick to win the $50,000 Premier Night Ragin Cajun Starter in February at Delta Downs, as well as an optional $10,000 claiming sprint for Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds before defeating open company last out at Evangeline.

Gerardo Mora has the mount from post 4 for Faucheux, who owns Hunker Down with Ng Ming Yan.