Delhomme calls the right play; Touchuponastar upsets New Orleans Classic

NEW ORLEANS – As a quarterback in the National Football League, Jake Delhomme carried the responsibility of calling out plays. Entries were taken a week ago for the Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Classic. Delhomme huddled with his brother, trainer Jeff Delhomme, pondering whether to send Louisiana-bred standout Touchuponastar into the fray against champion 3-year-old Sierra Leone on Saturday or take a slam-dunk win over Louisiana-breds here Sunday.

By Friday, Delhomme had made the call – New Orleans Classic.

Touchdown.

Facing just four foes in a scratched-down field, Touchuponastar and regular rider Tim Thornton set sail for the lead after breaking sharply and beat second choice Hall of Fame to the first turn. Thornton sat stock still as his mount went a half mile in a manageable 47.20. And at the three-eighths pole, Thornton knew he was a winner.

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When Touchuponastar finished second in this race a year ago, Thornton at the same spot scrubbed on his mount to keep him in the game. Saturday, Touchuponastar had his ears up, galloping smoothly.

“I had to take another hold, and I said, ‘Wait a minute, big boy,’” Thornton said.

Touchuponastar waited, and then he went. Hall of Fame tried to make a run at him in upper stretch and gained little traction. Sierra Leone spun his wheels between horses, taking forever to find his best stride. Touchuponastar was at the 20-yard line, the 10, then the five – home by 2 1/2 lengths.

Delhomme, a Louisiana native, started buying horses years ago, his operation generally restricted to Louisiana racing. Touchuponastar already had become the best Louisiana-bred in years. This was something special.

“Timmy got off him after he worked him a couple weeks ago and said, ‘This horse has never been better,’” Delhomme said. “I heard Sierra Leone was coming, and then I started hearing about maybe some scratches. We just decided to give it a shot.”

Indeed, half the 10 New Orleans Classic entrants were scratched. The last of those came Saturday morning, when front-running Maycocks Bay was withdrawn, a boost for Touchuponastar’s front-running tactics. Hall of Fame broke sharply and briefly looked like he’d try for the front. Thornton was more determined, and Jose Ortiz on Hall of Fame elected to stalk the pacesetter.

“He was just going better than me in the early part,” Ortiz said. “I made a run at him. We were flying from the half-mile pole.”

Sierra Leone, the 3-10 favorite in his first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic, never looked like he was winning. An abscessed foot knocked Sierra Leone out of his intended 4-year-old debut in the Saudi Cup about one month ago, and on Saturday, Sierra Leone, a dedicated closer, raced less than five lengths from the lead at the half-mile pole. His jockey, Flavien Prat, began offering serious encouragement past the three-eighths, but Sierra Leone struggled to come between San Siro and Komorebino Omoide at the quarter-pole, and never really got untracked until the eighth pole.

“Just rusty,” said trainer Chad Brown. “Flavien said it took him a long time to get going. Once he split horses and got into the clear he finished well, but it was too late.”

Sierra Leone finished two lengths behind Hall of Fame, San Siro fourth, Komorebino Omoide fifth. Touchuponastar paid $15 and was timed in 1:48.10 for 1 1/8 miles on a fast track, a faster-than-par time for the race.

Delhomme, who races as Set-Hut, bought Touchuponastar, by Star Guitar out of the Lion Heart mare Touch Magic, for just $15,000 at a Louisiana yearling sale. The gelding, now 6, debuted three years ago at Fair Grounds and finished second. Since then, he has won 15 of 20 starts. He has won his last 12 against Louisiana-breds. Statebred competition is not required for a gelding with a rare mix of stamina, speed, and athleticism.

“He’s a big horse, and you wouldn’t think he’d be as quick as he is,” Thornton said.

At Delta Downs last month, smacking around Louisiana-breds, Touchuponastar set a breakneck pace and won by more than 12 lengths. The race lit a fire under the horse, Delhomme said. Wednesday this week and Delhomme wasn’t sure what to do. Saturday afternoon, his Louisiana-bred had beaten a champion and won the New Orleans Classic.

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