Touchuponastar has now gone one better in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes than his sire, Star Guitar , winning the $150,000 state-bred race for a fourth year in a row, surpassing Star Guitar's three-peat.
Favored at 1-20 odds against four rivals, Touchuponastar led at every call and lengthened his lead to score by 8 3/4 lengths with jockey Timmy Thornton essentially sitting motionless aboard his back throughout in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race. After setting comfortable fractions of :23.68, :47.60, and 1:11.56, he hit the wire with a final time of 1:49.46 on a fast track.
Sippin On Gin, Letmikefigureitout, Benoit, and Sonya Knows Better completed the order of finish.
Jeff Delhomme trains Touchuponastar ($2.10) for their family's Set-Hut stable, headed by Jeff's brother, Jake, a former NFL quarterback. The 6-year-old gelding, bought by Set-Hut for $15,000 from the Eaton Sales consignment at the 2020 Texas Thoroughbred Association Summer Yearling and Horses of Racing Age Sale, has won 19 of 26 starts and $1,670,00.
"He's definitely a horse you don't come across a lot," Thornton said.
He is 5-for-6 this year in a campaign highlighted by his defeat of Sierra Leone and others in the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) in March.
"This is an awesome horse. I think those need to be showcased because this is a great game that not enough people know about," Jake Delhomme said.
Coteau Grove Farms bred Touchuponastar in Louisiana out of the Lion Heart mare Touch Magic. Star Guitar, the third-leading sire in Louisiana in 2025, will stand next year at Clear Creek Stud for $7,500.
The Classic was the richest of seven Louisiana-bred stakes races on Louisiana Champions Day. In other action:
- Rising Inflation improved to 5-for-6 in state-bred company by romping in the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf Stakes under Isaac Castillo. Jonathan Wong trains the 4-year-old daughter of Mitole for owners Rose Mark, Slam Dunk Racing, and Dennis Bailey.
- Secret Faith, fanning out wide into the stretch, outkicked Blue Fire to capture the Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint Stakes under C.J. McMahon. The victory for Secret Faith, a 3-year-old Aurelius Maximus filly, was her third in a row. She paid $2.60 to win. Jayde Gelner trains her for Norman Stables.
- Little Miss Curlin ($3.60) improved to 3-for-3 in scoring a decisive victory over Thrill Seeker in the Louisiana Champions Day Lassie Stakes under Jareth Loveberry. Pat Devereux Jr. trains the homebred 2-year-old Charlatan filly for owner Coteau Grove Farms. Her 6-furlong time of 1:10.33 was quicker than the 1:10.60 winning time in the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes.
- The Bret Calhoun-trained Our Moneyman ($8.40) rallied from last to catch Scar Ship and Creole Chrome in the Juvenile. Axel Concepcion rode the Mr. Money colt for owner/breeder Chester Thomas of Allied Racing Stable.
- Roger Smith's Allnight Moonlight ($5) closed to take the Louisiana Champions Day Turf Stakes under Jose Ortiz. The Samuel Breaux trainee, a 5-year-old Ransom the Moon gelding, outfinished Pegaso and Cajun Mitole.
- Geaux Sugar closed out the stakes action with a front-running victory in the Louisiana Champions Day Sprint Stakes with 6 furlongs in 1:09.94. Mitchell Murrill piloted the $6 winner, a 5-year-old Half Ours gelding for trainer Keith Bourgeois.
