Touchuponastar extends victory streak to four with Louisiana-Bred Premier Night Championship

Touchuponastar is establishing himself as a Louisiana-bred of significance, as he won his fourth straight race Saturday night in the $150,000 Louisiana-Bred Premier Night Championship at Delta Downs.

The 1 1/16-mile race for 4-year-olds and up was the richest of six Louisiana-bred stakes on the card. Purses for the races totaled $650,000. Other notable winners on the night included Free Like a Girl in the $125,000 Distaff and Ova Charged, who dead-heated with Snowball for the win in the $100,000 Matron.

Touchuponastar ($4.40) was winning his second major Louisiana-bred stakes behind the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds. He settled just off pacesetter Brian’s Iron Mike on Saturday, as that one ran the opening quarter in 23.65 seconds, a half-mile in 47.47 and six furlongs in 1:12.89. From there, Touchuponastar surged to the lead and began to separate himself from the field, going on to a 2 1/2-length win over Behemah. Touchuponastar covered the distance on a fast track in 1:45.53.

“He’s a very special horse,” winning rider Timothy Thornton said in an interview broadcast by Delta. “He’s always been nothing but a class act.”

Thornton has ridden Touchuponastar throughout his streak for trainer Jeff Delhomme.

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Touchuponastar is a son of Star Guitar who races for the Set-Hut stable of Delhomme’s brother, retired NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme.

Touchuponastar was a 21 1/4-length maiden special weight winner last May at Evangeline Downs. He started his current streak in an entry-level allowance at the track in July, and proceeded to win a three-other-than allowance in October at Delta and the Champions Day Classic in December.

Touchuponastar has now won 5 of 7 starts and $253,100.

Who Took the Money, a multiple stakes winner, was scratched from the Championship.

Free Like a Girl ($3.40) won the 10th stakes race of her career when she tracked the early pace under regular rider Pedro Cotto Jr. and took over after a half-mile in 50.31 seconds. She went on to a length win over Winning Romance. Free Like a Girl covered the mile in 1:41.16.

Free Like a Girl is a daughter of El Deal who improved her overall record to 11 for23 for earnings of $829,878. She races for her trainer, Chasey Deville Pomier, and partners Gerard Bruno Jr., Carl Deville, and Jerry Caroom.

Ova Charged ($2.10) won her sixth straight race when she overcame a tough trip to hit the wire in a dead heat with Snowball ($5) in the Matron. The winning horses finished a length in front, and covered five furlongs for fillies and mares in 59.10 seconds.

Jose Rodriguez rode Ova Charged for breeder Brittlyn Stable and trainer Jose Camejo. Ova Charged has won five stakes during her streak. She is a daughter of Star Guitar.

Vicente Del-Cid was aboard Snowball for Tin Roof Farms and trainer Sam Breaux. She is daughter of Apriority who was winning the fifth stakes race of her career in the Matron.

Del-Cid, who was an Eclipse Award finalist for outstanding apprentice of 2022, had a second stakes winner on the night when he guided Alpine Mist ($25) to a length win over Olivia G in the $100,000 Starlet. Luis Garcia trains the winner for her breeder, Melissa Cantacuzene. Alpine Mist is a daughter of Blofeld who covered the mile for 3-year-old fillies in 1:42.86.

Jockey Reylu Gutierrez also had a stakes double on the card. He guided Bron and Brow ($6) through a seam along the rail to capture the $100,000 Sprint and accounted for the $100,000 Prince with Jack Hammer ($5.20).

Bron and Brow covered five furlongs in 58.69 seconds. The son of Gormley won by 1 1/2 lengths over Takes Two to Tango. Mark Casse trains Bron and Brow for Gary Barber.

Jack Hammer withstood a claim of foul by the rider of runner-up Marks Promise for a 1 1/4-length win in the Prince. The winner covered the mile for 3-year-olds in 1:40.70. Bret Calhoun trains the son of Jimmy Creed for his breeder, Allied Racing Stable.

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