Touchuponastar leads start to finish in Champions Day Classic

In what amounted to a match race, Touchuponastar turned away Tumbarumba before the quarter pole and went on to win the $145,500 Louisiana Champions Day Classic by 1 1/4 lengths on Saturday at Fair Grounds.

It was a second straight Classic victory for the leading Louisiana-bred in training, and Touchuponastar now has won 10 of his 13 starts. Purchased at auction for just $15,000, Touchuponastar, a son of Star Guitar and Touch Magic, by Lion Heart, has earned more than $600,000 for his owner, Set-Hut LLC, and trainer Jeff Delhomme. Jeff’s brother, Jake Delhomme, is the Set-Hut principal and plays a hands-on role in the family operation.

Behemah Star and Mangum were scratched, leaving just a field of four and leading to the cancellation of show wagering. Tumbarumba finished more than 16 lengths ahead of third-place Cosmic Train, who is trained by the Delhommes’ father, Jerry.

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Touchuponastar and jockey Tim Thornton set out for the lead from post No. 1, Thornton keeping his mount well off the rail into the first turn to discourage Tumbarumba from coming up and applying pressure. The pace was solid for a nine-furlong Fair Grounds dirt race, the quarter going in 23.79, the half in 47.66, and six furlongs in 1:11.29. By then, Touchuponastar had begun asserting his superiority.

As Tumbarumba came under a ride from Florent Geroux, Thornton had not asked his mount for anything, and by the quarter pole, Touchuponastar had opened daylight. Up by three lengths at the stretch call, his lead dwindled through the final half-furlong, perhaps owing to the lack of competition more than waning stamina. Touchuponastar clocked 1:50.12, besting his 2022 time, and paid $2.40.

Tumbarumba, a 3-year-old, was exiting a narrow loss in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby. He’s a good horse, an open-stakes performer, but Touchuponastar was better Saturday.

Behema Star best in Turf

Scratched from the Classic, Behemah Star won the first grass race of his career by capturing the $100,000 Champions Day Turf by 1 1/4 lengths over Who Took the Money, winner of the last two renewals of the Turf.

A distant second to Touchuponastar in the 2022 Classic, Behemah Star found a softer spot on grass and got a perfect pressing trip under Jose Guerrero. Sitting second and towed along through a slow half-mile in 49.82 by 100-1 shot Sonja Knows Better, Guerrero asked his mount early, quickly putting away his pace rival at the five-sixteenths pole and dashing clear. Up by two lengths at the stretch call, Behemah Star turned in a final half-furlong in six seconds and was home comfortably.

Who Took the Money came from last of eight and raced wide, a tough trip behind a sluggish pace. He finished 1 3/4 lengths better than third-place Woods N Water.

Shane Wilson trains Behemah Star for Brittlyn Stables, and connections made a shrewd call Saturday, opting for grass despite their horse’s lack of experience on the surface. Third and eighth in his two turf tries, Behemah Star ran 1 1/16 miles over a firm course in 1:44.76 and paid $39.60. The homebred 5-year-old gelding is by Star Guitar out of Saintly Joan, by Northern Afleet.

Mangum scores in Sprint

Touchuponastar led from start to finish winning the Champions Day Classic while his stablemate, Mangum, went from last to first getting up in the $100,000 Champions Day Sprint.

Mangum was cutting back from a route and running the shortest distance he’d ever tried, but he was up late to win the six-furlong Sprint by a half-length under Corey Lanerie. Mangum, like Touchuponastar, is owned by Jake Delhomme’s Set-Hut and trained by his brother, Jeff Delhomme.

Favored Bron and Brow finished second, a half-length in front of Mike J, while Mangum was timed in 1:10.83, paying $11.

Three-year-old Mangum, by Mo Town out of the Graeme Hall mare Bovell Road, has done most of his racing around two turns, though he had, to good effect, cut back to a 6 1/2-furlong sprint allowance winning well in August at Evangeline Downs. The Delhommes scratched Mangum from the Classic, knowing he couldn’t beat Touchuponastar, but he beat 13 to win the Sprint.

Good and Stout narrowly best in Juvenile

Good and Stout was saved by the wire, winning the $100,000 Champions Juvenile by a nose over onrushing El Dinero.

Good and Stout, after a stalking trip from the rail, squeezed between horses at the furlong grounds to take the lead, but he could not extend his stride after hitting the front and nearly was caught by El Dinero. Last of nine in the early going, El Dinero had only a couple behind him in upper stretch when jockey James Graham steered him to the rail for a strong bid that fell just short.

El Dinero, the only horse finishing with any energy, finished one length clear of third-place Sounds Like Power. The winner ran six furlongs in a modest 1:12.22 and paid $11.60.

C.J. McMahon rode the winner for trainer Carol Castille, who also owns Good and Stout, racing under the nom de course Whispering Oaks Farm. Good and Stout, disqualified last out from a win at Delta Downs in a $100,000 stakes race, is by Coal Front out of Ready Witted, by More than Ready.

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