Sunbean targets Louisiana Premier Night

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana-bred gelding Sunbean, who is on a three-race winning streak and surpassed $1 million in career earnings with a victory Dec. 13 in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds, is in “light training right now,” trainer Ron Faucheux said Wednesday. “We’ll probably gear up for Premier Night at Delta.”

He was referring to the Louisiana Premier Night Championship, a $200,000, 1 1/16-mile race for Louisiana-bred older horses Feb. 7 at Delta Downs.

The Champions Day race was Sunbean’s third start in six weeks. “He came out of it good,” Faucheux said. “Knowing how Thoroughbreds are, three races in six weeks, route races, you’ve got to give them a little freshening after that.”

Wind Chill Factor on stakes roll

Under a confident ride from Willie Martinez, Wind Chill Factor on Wednesday scored her third consecutive victory, all in Louisiana-bred stakes company, as she won the $90,750 Louisiana Futurity for fillies. She ran six furlongs in 1:12.03 to defeat Forest Lake by three-quarters of a length.

Trained by Gary Scherer, Wind Chill Factor is 4 for 5 overall. Against Louisiana-breds, she also won the $150,000 Louisiana Jewel at Delta Downs and the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie at Fair Grounds. The three stakes wins came in a 40-day span.

“She is just so much fun right now,” Martinez said. “She’s a little ATM.”

Scherer said Wind Chill Factor likely will race next in the Premier Night Starlet at Delta Downs.

In the Louisiana Futurity for Louisiana-bred males, Cook Some Rice scored his first stakes victory, pushing past Just Kissing Buck in the final sixteenth of a mile to win by three-quarters of a length. Ridden by Gerard Melancon for trainer Sam Breaux, Cook Some Rice ran six furlongs in 1:11.56.