LTBA Announces 2022 Accredited Louisiana Bred Champions
Category: Late September
Set-Hut’s Touchuponastar Ascends to Win the Louisiana Champions Day Classic
NEW ORLEANS, La. (December 10, 2022) – The commanding speed in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic, Set-Hut’s Touchuponastar overcame a slow break to lead through all calls and pour it on late to win by 4 3/4 lengths over Behemah Star. The Star Guitar-sired exacta had plenty in the tanks after coasting through soft fractions, keeping the odds-on favorite Who Took the Money at bay.
Touchuponastar, a lightly raced-3-year-old trained by Jeff Delhomme, ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.66 to collect his first career stakes win. Timothy Thornton rode the winner for Delhomme family, Jerry, Jeff, and ex-NFL quarterback Jake.
Pausing for an instant after the gates flew upon, Touchuponastar recovered quickly, hustling by the early challenger Highland Creek in the early going to set fractions of 24.55 and 49.34. He received no pressure as Highland Creek kept 1 1/2 lengths back to his outside. Behemah Star made his move to take over in second through the final bend but never menaced Touchuponastar who extended his lead to six lengths at the stretch call. Who Took the Money stalked wide in sixth before beginning a late move that never threatened the winner but was game enough to beat Ballinonabudjet for third. The rest finished well back.
“We knew he was a special horse all along,” Timothy Thornton said. “We knew we were coming here to beat Who Took the Money, but when I was able to get that first quarter as slow as I was going, I thought Calhoun’s horse (Highland Creek) was going to pressure me. When they left me alone, I knew I was going to have plenty left, and he was definitely able to show how special he is today.”
Touchuponastar is a son of Guitar Star out of the Lion Heart mare Touch Magic and was bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms. The four-time winner returned $12.40, $5.60 and $3.00 as the 5-1 third betting choice in the field of seven older males.
Cosmic Train, Highland Creek, and Maga Man completed the order of finish. Beauregard was scratched.
Touchuponastar netted $60,000 for owner Set-Hut LLC and now boasts career earnings of $163,100 from a record of 4-1-1 in 6 starts.
“He’s young and has a big future ahead of him,” trainer Jeff Delhomme said. “We were leaning towards the Classic the entire time (instead of the Sprint). We didn’t run in the prep because earlier in the career we swung back in three weeks and we think that ended up being a little too fast. It opens a lot of doors for us to be able to get nine furlongs, even outside Louisiana-bred horses.”
In other stakes action on the Louisiana Champions Day Card, Kendel D. Standlee’s Big Chopper rolled from off a 44.79 opening half mile to win the $100,000 Sprint going away at 6-1 for trainer Scott Gelner and jockey Corey Lanerie. He was followed home in the trifecta by longshots Relentless Dancer (15-1) and Mike J (46-1). After pressing into a hot pace, 2-1 favorite Bertie’s Galaxy finished last of the 12.
In the $100,000 Ladies Distaff, Thomas Galvin’s A.G’s Charlotte proved her upset win in the Big World last month was no fluke, but this time she was forced to close into moderate fractions instead of having the table set for her. The circumstances were different, but the results were the same as she scored by a narrow margin under a heady, rail-skimming ride by Marcelino Pedroza, Jr. as the 5-2 second choice for trainer Patricia West. The pacesetter Winning Romance, who walked through an opening half-mile in 49.19, battled gamely but finished second as the 3-5 public choice. Fort Polk, last year’s Distaff winner, settled for third.
In the $100,000 Ladies Sprint, Brittlyn Stables’ Ova Charged made short work of her overmatched rivals, rolling home in gate-to-wire fashion to score by 4 ¾ effortless lengths at the 1-5 chalk for Jose Camejo. Free Like a Girl, Spirited Beauty and Snowball completed the order of finish. With the win, Evelyn Benoit’s Brittlyn Stables extended their record of Champions Day wins to 15.
In the $100,000 Juvenile, Kevin Stedman’s Late September (5-1) broke inward from the starting gate, wired the field, and eventually survived a claim of foul to give trainer Jose Camejo his first of two Champions Day wins on the card. It was one of three scores on the day for Fair Grounds’ leading rider Jose Luis Rodriguez. Tumbarumba, the 3-5 favorite, was severely compromised at the start, but he rallied on nicely to be second in front of Calicoco, who checked in third.
In the $100,000 Lassie, Mansfield Racing’s Free Drop Maddy (6-5 second choice) battled for the lead from the rail, took over on the turn for home and built the lead in the stretch before holding off the slow starting 1-1 favorite Norah G to win by a diminishing neck. It was far back to Tensas Candy in third.
The two starter races were won by the mare Zydeco Music (7-5) for owner Richard Anthony Tompkins, jockey Jose Rodriguez and trainer Shane Wilson and the gelding Dixie Street for owner Vanessa Motta, trainer Sean Alforish and jockey Tracy Hebert respectively.
LATE SEPTEMBER WINS THE $100,000 LOUISIANA LEGACY IN MID OCTOBER AT DELTA DOWNS
2-YEAR-OLD COLT SURVIVES JOCKEY OBJECTION TO SCORE FIRST STAKES WIN
VINTON, LA. – Delta Downs hosted the $100,000 Louisiana Legacy Stakes on Saturday night as the track closed out another race week in Vinton, Louisiana. The race was won by Kevin Stedman’s Late September under jockey Jose Rodriguez. The Jose Camejo trainee and his connections had to wait a while to celebrate in the winner’s circle after the race as a jockey’s objection was lodged against him by C. J. McMahon, the rider King’s Lute, who finished second. After several tense moments the claim of foul was disallowed and the win was made official.
Late September was making his first start in four months in the Legacy and was facing state-bred company for the first time. The layoff didn’t bother him as he broke sharply and settled back into fifth position early in the seven-furlong test around two turns. Meanwhile the pace was being set by Bisping who traveled the opening quarter mile in 22.73 seconds and stopped the timer in 47.24 for the half mile. The pacesetter, and wagering co-favorite along with Late September, was challenged by the eventual winner as the field entered the second turn but could not repel the challenge. Bisping would go on to finish fifth in the field of nine.
When Late September entered the final furlong he was put to the test by King’s Lute, who had rallied stoutly from the back on the pack. The pair came together in the upper-stretch before Late September pulled clear to finish a length to the good of his rival at the finish line. Boss Soss would up third, another 5-3/4 length behind the runner-up. Late September finished the race in a time of 1:28.13 over a fast track.
The win by Late September was the second of his four-race career. He earned $60,000 for the effort and now has a bankroll of $97,870.
Bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms, LLC, Late September is a 2-year-old bay colt by Munnings, out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Hello Maggie May. He was purchased at sale earlier this year for $60,000.
The wagering public who backed Late September at the windows was rewarded with payoffs of $6 to win, $4.20 to place and $3 to show. King’s Lute paid $9 to place and $5.80 to show. The Boss Soss was worth $3 to show.
For more information about the current season, visit the track’s website at www.deltadownsracing.com. Fans can also get information on Facebook and Twitter.
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