Millionaire Sunbean loves to win

Some horses just know their way to the winner’s circle. There can be no doubt that Brittlyn Stable's Sunbean is just such a horse. Winning his third stakes race in the past six weeks, the Louisiana-bred extraordinaire overcame a tardy break to once again get to the wire first in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic today at Fair Grounds. It wasn’t easy, but the big favorite made it home a neck in front, and in so doing, Sunbean became racing’s newest millionaire.

Ridden by Corey Lanerie, the 2014 George Woolf Memorial Jockey Award winner, Sunbean was not quite ready for the break and gave the rest a two or three step headstart. Past the stands for the first time, he found himself trailing the field. Meanwhile, at the other end of the group of five, it was Sunbean's stablemate, and the 2012 Classic runner-up, Watch My Smoke, who went right after the lead.

Lanerie, also a Louisiana-bred, and Sunbean were patient, as they watched the proceedings unfold in front of them. With Watch My Smoke winging out alone on the lead, Sunbean gradually moved closer from the outside, and by the time the field hit the far turn, he was in third, and in striking position. Left largely unattended on the front end, Watch My Smoke had plenty left for a challenge, which was coming first from the 7-1 shot, One King’s Man, and then from the gelding everyone was watching.

As the trio hit the stretch, Watch My Smoke bravely held One King’s Man at bay, while Sunbean, slowly but surely, kept coming on the far outside. At one point in the lane, One King’s Man, who was now in third, was crunched from both sides, so the decision came down to the stubborn early leader, and Sunbean. Much as he has done since winning the Louisiana Futurity in his second career start, Sunbean simply would not be denied, edging to a hard earned neck victory.

Before Sunbean could be led into winner’s circle for trainer Ron Faucheux, though, he had to wait through an objection and an inquiry that involved the top three finishers. Sunbean did come in a bit in mid-stretch to contribute to a squeezing of third place finisher, One King’s Man, but the stewards ruled that it was the horse on the rail, Watch My Smoke, who was the main instigator. Sunbean, certainly the best horse in the race, stayed on top, while the order of his closest pursuers was reversed, giving One King’s Man the place prize.

For Sunbean, his second victory in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic became one of the most important of his career. the four-year-old gelded son of Brahms, fresh off an impressive victory in his previous start in the $250,000 Delta Mile at Delta Downs, became only the sixth Louisiana-bred to crack the million dollar mark in earnings.

Last year in this same race, the winning machine edged String King by a nose on the wire. Today marked his 12th career stakes win, in a career that has seen the ‘good bean’ win 13-of-20 lifetime.

Final time for the nine furlongs over the fast main track at Fair Grounds was 1:51.81. Quickly becoming a Louisiana-bred legend, and always a fan favorite, Sunbean was overwhelmingly backed at the windows, returning $2.60 for the win, as the 3-10 chalk.