Multiple stakes winners Sunbean and Heitai headline the Louisiana Legends Night program, which offers more than $800,000 in purses in eight stakes for state-breds on the night of May 24 at Evangeline Downs Racetrack Casino & Hotel.
Seven of the stakes on the 10th annual Louisiana Legends night carry a $100,000 purse, including the Classic. The race attracted only four opponents for Sunbean, who is starting to dominate Louisiana-bred action in much the same way as Star Guitar did before him. The 1 1/16-mile Classic is the 11th on the 12-race program and is scheduled to go off at 10:10 p.m. CDT.
A 4-year-old gelded son of Brahms, Sunbean has won four consecutive stakes for Louisiana-breds and was most recently third in the New Orleans Handicap (gr. II) at Fairgrounds Race Course & Slots aginst open company March 29. Sunbean, who drew the rail, is expected to be the lowest price horse of the evening.
Trained by Ron Faucheux, Sunbean has won eight of 14 lifetime starts and had earned $574,900 for owner/breeder Evelyn Benoit of Brittlyn Stable. Richard Eramia, Sunbean's regular rider, has the mount on the 1-2 morning line pick.
In the $100,000 Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs, which drew a full field of 12, Heitai is pegged at 6-5. The 4-year-old Fusaichi Pegasus gelding returned to his winning ways in the Need for Speed Stakes May 3 at Evangeline, his fourth win in five starts this year at four different tracks. His only blemish this season came in the Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (gr. III) at Oaklawn Park when finishing fifth.
Trained by Karl Broberg, Heitai boast an 8-4-3 mark from 19 starts with earnings of $439,943. Diego Saenz is back aboard the Rowell Enterprises homebred, who drew the far outside post.
Other $100,000 races on the rich night of racing include the Turf, the Distaff, the Cheval (for 3-year-olds on grass), the Mademoiselle, and the Soiree (for 3-year-old fillies on grass).
With twelve races, Evangeline Downs management has expanded the wagering menu to include a total of three Pick 4 wagers.
$100,000 Louisiana Legends Classic (Race 11, 10:10 p.m.), 3 & Up, 1 1/16 Miles
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds
1. Sunbean (LA), R E Eramia, 125, R Faucheux, 1/2
2. Beauty's Pioneer (LA), D Saenz, 116, S Ingram, 8/1
3. Arkansas Martini (LA), M Mena, 116, W E Hawley, 9/2
4. Coneyo Fontova (LA), C J Hernandez, 116, R Courville, 10/1
5. Heavy On Themister (LA), G Melancon, 116, J K Desormeaux, 5/1
Sunbean faces 4 in the Louisiana Legends Classic.
Hodges Photography/Lou Hodges, Jr.