Photo:

Fair Grounds / Lou Hodges Jr. / Hodges Photography

Touchuponastar became horse racing’s newest millionaire
Saturday, setting a relaxed pace and leading at every call on the way to his
third consecutive victory in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic for state-bred
horses at Fair Grounds.

Now a 13-time race winner for former NFL quarterback Jake
Delhomme’s Set-Hut stable, the 5-year-old Star Guitar gelding set fractions of
25.02, 49.48, 1:13.99 and 1:38.27 on his way to a 5 1/4-length triumph over
four rivals, ages 3 and up. Tim Thornton rode to a winning time of 1:50.93 for the 1 1/16 miles on the
fast main track.

Click here for Fair Grounds entries and results.

Benoit (19-1) stalked Touchuponastar (1-5) around both turns
and finished a clear second by 8 1/2 lengths. Cosmic Train (4-1), from the barn of Delhomme’s
father Jerry Delhomme, came in third followed by Tdzshininluckystar (10-1) and last-place
Allnight Moonlight (12-1).

Touchuponastar returned $2.40, $2.10 and $2.10; Benoit $6.60 and $3.00; and Cosmic Train $2.20.

Trained by Delhomme’s older brother Jeff Delhomme,
Touchuponastar won by 4 3/4 lengths in 2022 and by 1 1/4 last year. A two-time
stakes victor this year, he was coming off a third-place finish in a sloppy
renewal of the Delta Mile on Nov. 8 at Delta Downs.

With Saturday’s victory, Touchuponastar ran his record to
19: 13-4-2 and added $90,000 to bring his career earnings to $1,022,900. He was bought for $15,000 at a Texas yearling sale in 2020.