Sunbean eyeing Delta Mile or Champions Day Classic

Sunbean’s powerful win in last Saturday night’s $100,000 Gold Cup at Delta Downs has opened up a couple of different race options for Brittlyn Stable and trainer Ron Faucheux. Sunbean was making his first start in more than two months in the Gold Cup, and after stalking the pace took quick command on the final turn and went on to a 4 3/4-length win. Sunbean earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.

”He ran a really big race for us,” Faucheux said Tuesday. “When he’s on his ‘A’ game, that’s the race that he fires. We’re just happy to have him at this point peaked out, and hopefully he’ll continue to sustain this type of run.”

Faucheux said Sunbean’s next-race options are the $250,000 Delta Mile at Delta Downs on Nov. 22 and the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds on Dec. 13.

“We’ll just play it by ear,” he said. “If we run in the Delta Mile, we won’t have to train him too hard as we’ll be going into it in a little over three weeks. If we decide to pass, we’ll go right into the Louisiana Champions Classic. We’re just going to play it by ear.”

Sunbean won last year’s Gold Cup one start before taking the Louisiana Champions Day Classic.

Brittlyn and Faucheux also have Class Included, who the trainer said remains on deck for the $200,000 Treasure Chest for fillies and mares at Delta on Nov. 22.