Touchuponastar Turns Back Tumbarumba for Consecutive Classic

By Kevin Kilroy —-

12/9/2023 – Touchuponastar with jockey Timothy Thornton aboard pulls away to win the 32nd running of the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.

Touchuponastar Turns Back Tumbarumba for Consecutive Classic

New Orleans, La (Dec. 9, 2023) – Set-Hut’s phenom Touchuponastar set the pace and turned back Tumbarumba’s far-turn bid to win his second $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. The 4-year-old son of Star Guitar out of the Lion Heart mare Touch Magic was bred by Coteau Grove, along with the second and third-place finishers, Tumbarumba and Cosmic Train.

When the top two Classic finishers went eyeball to eyeball in the far turn, it was only a matter of a few strides before Touchuponastar put Tumbarumba away and quickly took an insurmountable 3-length advantage. Tumbarumba never stopped trying to re-engage, making up ground late.

Trained by Jeff Delhomme and guided by jockey Tim Thornton, Touchuponastar finished 1 1/4 lengths in front of Tumbarumba and covered the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.12.

“He’s all class,” Thornton said. “I knew when he got away clean in the first jump that they were going to have to run today to beat him. I was in-hand waiting. He’s such a great horse, they’ve done such a great job with him. It’s a joy to ride him.”

With a lifetime record of 13-10-2-1 and $618,100 in purses, the question remains could former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme’s Touchuponastar step out of Louisiana and take on top stakes routers.

“The Louisiana breeders program is so great over here,” trainer Jeff Delhomme said. “It gives us the opportunity to run for the money. We don’t need to chase the money. We can stay right here. Would we like another chance next year in the Steve Sexton? Yes. Maybe try him this year in the New Orleans Classic? Yes. I don’t think we need to go far to take on better competition but I think all these Louisiana-breds are giving us all we can handle right now.”

On hand in the winner’s circle, Keith and Ginger Myers of Coteau Grove Farms were able to witness a few of the best of their breeding program run first, second, and third in the Classic.

“What’s special is where we are,” Keith Myers said. “We’re here at home in Louisiana. We’re very close to Jake (Delhomme), and we see the Delhommes as our family. Having success together makes it more special. To have three who were bred at the farm run one, two, three–it’s quite rewarding. Touchuponastar was big and athletic (as a yearling), but I don’t remember having thoughts that this was going to be the one. Really it was a little bit of a surprise.”

Set-Hut’s Louisiana Champions Day success continued later in the card as Mangum surged late to win the $100,000 Sprint.

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About Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots

Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, one of the nation’s oldest racetracks, has been in operation since 1872. Located in New Orleans, LA, Fair Grounds, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates a slot-machine gaming facility and 16 off-track betting parlors throughout Southeast Louisiana. The 152nd Thoroughbred Racing Season–highlighted by the 111th running of the Louisiana Derby–will run from Nov. 17, 2023 through March 24, 2024. More information is available online at www.fgno.com.