Sunbean, Heitai likely to face open company next

OPELOUSAS, La. – Sunbean and Heitai, who both won as prohibitive favorites on Saturday’s Louisiana Legends program at Evangeline Downs, could see action next month against open company on the inaugural Evangeline Turf Sprint card. Sunbean overpowered four outclassed rivals in the Legends Classic, while Heitai worked a bit harder to defeat 11 rivals in the Legends Sprint. The Louisiana Legends stakes were for statebreds.

Sunbean, owned by Evelyn Benoit’s Brittlyn Stable, is being pointed to the $100,000 Evangeline Mile, which has been moved from its usual August date to help support the first running of the Turf Sprint on June 21. A 4-year-old homebred, Sunbean will attempt to follow in the footsteps of another Brittlyn runner, Star Guitar, who pulled off the Classic-Evangeline Mile double an unprecedented three times beginning in 2009.

Sunbean is the latest star out of the extraordinary broodmare X Strawdnair. A modest earner of $40,000 on the racetrack, X Strawdnair is the dam of stakes winners Mean Butterbean ($224,000 in earnings), Brother Bean ($434,000), Miss Bean ($206,000), and Beanwah’smachine ($177,000).

“We’ve had a lot of Beans over the years,” Benoit said after the race. “It’s a long story but a good one. We believe this Bean is the best Bean, though. We call him The Bean.”

While not as visually impressive as Sunbean, Heitai still managed to win by daylight in the Legends Sprint. It was not an easy task given that he broke from the far-outside No. 12 post and hooked up with Reece’s Wildcat to set torrid early fractions of 21.13 and 43.87 seconds in the six-furlong race.

The win was the sixth in the last seven starts for Heitai, a 4-year-old son of Fusaichi Pegasus. Included in that run is a victory in the Need for Speed Stakes in his turf debut May 3. It is that race that has his connections considering the $300,000 Turf Sprint in four weeks.

Assistant trainer Eduardo Ramirez said he, trainer Karl Broberg, and owner Frank Howell will discuss where to run Heitai next.

Apprentice riders galore

Apprentice riders are rare at many tracks, but not in southern Louisiana.

Last Friday at Evangeline, there were no fewer than eight apprentices riding during the 10-race program, including Alabama native Mitchell Murrill. Murrill began his career riding Quarter Horses but has made the transition to Thoroughbreds.

“There’s a difference,” Murrill said. “The races are obviously longer. I’m still working on getting fit, working on my legs, my timing. I’ve had some guys help me. I’m still learning.”

One of Murrill’s primary mentors is Gerard Melancon, a winner of more than 4,000 races, mostly on the southern Louisiana circuit. Melancon’s son, Jansen, also is a member of the local riding colony.