Championing Louisiana Breds
Louisiana Champions Day 2024
by Chad Schexnayder
Like Father, Like Son
Touchuponastar Cruises to Third Consecutive Classic Victory
Touchuponastar with jockey Timothy Thornton aboard captures the 34th running of the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
NEW ORLEANS - Anytime you can enter the Louisiana bred record books in the same ilk as the legendary Star Guitar you’ve reached quite the milestone.
Louisiana Champions Day Classic
TOUCHUPONASTAR
Star Guitar-Touch Magic
Breeder: Coteau Grove Farms, LLC
Owner: Set-Hut LLC
Trainer: Jeff Delhomme
Jockey: Timothy Thornton
In the case of Touchuponastar he equalled his daddy’s achievement by winning the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic for a third straight year at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
Unlike his sire who welcomed three different pilots during his run of three straight Champions Day wins from 2009-2011, journeyman Tim Thornton has been aboard Touchuponastar for 18 of his 19 races missing only his debut race at Fair Grounds back in March of 2022.
“He’s right there at the top of horses I have ridden in my career,” Thornton said. “He’s such a class act and he loves what he does. I can’t thank the Delhomme family enough for the chance they gave me to ride him.”
Owned by Jake Delhomme’s Set-Hut LLC and trained by his brother Jeff, Touchuponastar broke into the millionaire’s club with his $90,000 first place earnings. The 5-year-old gelding now boasts a 13-4-2 from 19 starts totaling $1,022,900.
“What else can you say about him?” Jake Delhomme said. “When you get one like this you appreciate them every single day. He’s a very sound horse and we want to continue on with him. Hopefully we are able to do this again next year.”
Bred by Coteau Grove Farms’ Lion Heart mare Touch Magic, Touchuponastar made it look easy galloping through moderate early fractions before crossing the wire 5-¼ lengths clear of Benoit. He returned $2.40 after covering 1-⅛-miles on a fast main track in 1:50.93.
Blue Fire Shows Determination in Champions Day Lassie Win
Blue Fire with jockey Jose Ortiz aboard outduels Secret Faith to win the 34th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Louisiana Champions Day Lassie
BLUE FIRE
Aurelius Maximus-Mystic Blue
Breeder: J. Adcock & Nathan Granger
Owner: Stonestreet Stables LLC & Peter Leidel
Trainer: Steven M. Asmussen
Jockey: Jose L. Ortiz
Stonestreet Stables and Peter Leidel’s Blue Fire and previously unbeaten Secret Faith turned the $100,000 Champions Day Lassie into their own match race with a thrilling stretch duel.
With Jose Ortiz aboard, Blue Fire was able to battle back on the inside of C.J. McMahon and Secret Faith to prevail by a head separating themselves by over nine lengths from the rest of the seven-horse field.
Blue Fire scored her first stakes win in her stakes debut for trainer Steve Asmussen after winning her maiden race at Fair Grounds opening week by a hard fought head.
“She was very game in her maiden win and she did the same thing today,” Ortiz said. “She was on the lead and that other filly (Secret Faith) was way outside so I moved her out to see her and she just kept finding and finding.”
Both of the top two finishers were daughters of Aurelius Maximus, who stands at J. Adcock’s Red River Farms. Aurelius Maximus was also co-owned by Leidel during his racing career.
Bred by J. Adcock and Nathan Granger, Blue Fire ($4.80) covered six furlongs in 1:10.48 as the second choice in the field. Warrior’s Justice was third.
Trained by Jayde Gelner, Secret Faith was sent off an odds-on .90-to-1 favorite in part to her unblemished 5-for-5 record to start her career.
Smoken Wicked Shows Class in Juvenile
Gives Stewart Win #1,000
Smoken Wicked with Colby Hernandez aboard wins the 34th running of the Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile
SMOKEN WICKED
Bobby’s Wicked One-Street Smoke
Breeder: Tom Curtis & Wayne Simpson
Owner: Valene Farms
Trainer: Dallas Stewart
Jockey: Colby J. Hernandez
Longtime thoroughbred owner Murray Valene and trainer Dallas Stewart have shared plenty of milestones throughout the course of their 30-plus year history together.
None may have been more special than Smoken Wicked winning the $100,000 Champions Day Juvenile which gave Stewart his monumental 1,000th career training victory.
“This horse was his (Dallas’) 999th win too at Churchill,” Valene smirked. “He’s a nice colt and we have big plans for him.”
Smoken Wicked, third in the Saratoga Special Stakes (G2) this summer and later fourth in both the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course and Champagne Stakes (G1) at Aqueduct Racetrack, won for the third time in seven starts.
“It’s a special win for some special people,” said Stewart, who started his training career in 1985. “I got a great group of people behind me that have worked for me a long time. My beautiful family that I’m thankful for the support. You need a lot of support in this game to keep going.”
Smoken Wicked joins the Valene Farms honor roll of Louisiana-bred champions Ide Like a Double, Autobeacat, Designer Legs, Big Time, and Givemeaminit.
Ridden by Colby Hernandez, Smoken Wicked ($3.40) broke clear from the outside post in the six-horse field and worked out a clear trip overtaking Peluso Memorial winner Hay Jude in the stretch to pull away by two lengths. Tdz Hint of Power was third.
“We didn’t train him real hard for this race cause we want to come back in the Futurity. We felt like we could pick this one up. He’s pretty good. Long term I’d like to see him maybe make it to the Pat Day Mile in the spring.”
Smoken Wicked also gave Bobby’s Wicked One, a 9-year-old son Speightstown who won multiple stakes races spriting at Fair Grounds, his first stakes win as a sire. Bobby’s Wicked One stands at LACER in Sunset, La.
Woods N Water Best in a Wild Champions Day Turf Finish
Woods N Water puts his nose in front of Behemah Star to win the 34th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Louisiana Champions Day Turf
WOODS N WATER
Palace-Said and Done
Breeder: Orange Grove Thoroughbreds, Inc & Richard Painter
Owner: Richard Painter & Dewberry Farm
Trainer: Samuel Breaux
Jockey: Timothy Thornton
Woods N Water survived a wild photo finish in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf needing every inch of the Stall-Wilson turf course to prevail by a nose over last year’s winner Behemah Star.
Owned in partnership by Richard Painter and Dewberry Farm, Woods N Water covered about 1-1/16 miles on a firm turf course in 1:47.82 under jockey Tim Thornton. It was one of three wins on the day for Thornton.
“I just made sure to tuck in and save all the ground I could,” Thornton said. “I know I had a lot of horse so I wheeled him out, but for a second I thought I had moved too soon. But I was able to hang on. He dug in and tried hard.”
The 5-year-old son of Palace out of the First Samurai mare Said and Done has now won a state-bred turf stakes at all three Louisiana tracks. He owns a record 10-3-7 from 33 career starts with $391,159 in earnings.
Racing out of trainer Sam Breaux’s barn for the first time, Woods N Water went from trainer Lee Thomas’ barn over the summer in Louisiana to making three starts in the fall at Remington Park for trainer Jayde Gelner. He finished second twice in allowance company at Remington before heading down to Fair Grounds.
“I just got him about a month ago,” Breaux said. “He ran a real big race for me. We figured there was lots of speed in the race and we wanted him in the second flight. Everything worked out good for us.”
Woods N Water returned a healthy $21.20 at odds of 9.60-1 on the tote board. Behemah Star finished 2-¼ lengths ahead of Calicoco for the minor placings in the 10-horse field.
Six String Keeps Beat Going in Ladies Sprint
Six String with jockey Ben Curtis aboard outduels Luyv to win the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint
SIX STRING
Star Guitar-Oh Whata Holiday
Breeder: World War IV Racing & Rebel Tide Racing LLC
Owner: World War IV Racing & Rebel Tide Racing LLC
Trainer: Allen Landry
Jockey: Ben Curtis
Some horses just have a feel for where the finish line is.
Six String is turning out to be one of those types of horses.
Winning for the seventh time in 11 starts, Six String crossed the wire a neck better than 36-1 longshot Luyv to her inside to win the $100,000 Champions Day Ladies Sprint.
The victory was doubly satisfying for owners World War IV Racing and Rebel Tide Racing who are also the breeders of this talented 3-year-old daughter of Star Guitar.
“She puts her head down, she tries hard, and she has got an engine to go with it,” jockey Ben Curtis said. “That’s a good thing to have in a racehorse. I had the outside gate but I broke away quickly. The pace was strong enough in front so I was happy enough to sit off it and set sail at the top of the stretch. Luckily enough she was game for me and held out all the way to the line.”
Six String’s victory for trainer Allen Landry was an upset of sorts as multi-millionaire Free Like A Girl went to post as the .90-to-1 favorite but could only muster a mild rally for fourth in the eight horse field. Luyv held on for second, almost two lengths better than Freeburn.
“First of all I want to thank World War IV Racing and Rebel Tide for letting me train this filly,” Landry said. “They've been great to me. This filly’s heart is as big as her body. She’s not real big filly but she has got some guts. She’s good on the grass, too.”
Six String was able to turn the tables on both Noneya and Freeburn who finished in front of her in the Delmar Caldwell Memorial Stakes opening weekend of the meet.
Geaux Sugar Dominates Sprint in Front Running Fashion
Geaux Sugar with jockey Mitchell Murrill aboard wins the 34th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Louisiana Champions Day Sprint
GEAUX SUGAR
Half Ours-Fifolet
Breeder: Earl Hernandez, Keith Hernandez & John Duvieilh
Owner: Single Malt Stable
Trainer: Keith G. Bourgeois
Jockey: Mitchell Murrill
Trainer Keith Bourgeois has made hundreds of claims in his storied Cajun career but only a few could match the kind of return on investment that Geaux Sugar is providing his connections.
Using his crack sprinting running style, Geaux Sugar made every yard a winning one in the $100,000 Champions Day Sprint.
Claimed off a win back in May for $10,000 out of a starter optional race at Evangeline Downs, the 4-year-old son of Half Ours has won four of six starts for Single Malt Stables LLC. Two of those wins have come in six-figure stakes purses at Fair Grounds.
“It was a good claim for sure,” Bourgeois said. “We never imagined he’d turn out to be this kind of horse. We were hoping to just get a good little claimer to have some fun sprinting with.”
Geaux Sugar opened up two lengths on his rivals, whipping through fractions of 21.85 and 45.08 for the half-mile under jockey Mitchell Murrill. Murrill remained a statue as Geaux Sugar just kept powering to the finish crossing the wire better than four lengths ahead of 1.60-to-1 race favorite Jack Hammer. Not on Herb rounded out the trifecta.
“I never asked him at all down the lane, which is pretty incredible the way he was running,” Murrill said. “I didn’t apply any pressure to him going into the turn. I just waited as long as I needed to wait and he gave it all when he needed.”
Proving how much a year can change things - Mangum, Bron and Brow and Mike J, the top three finishers from 2023, ran seventh, eighth and ninth in the 10-horse field.
Highly Wicked Again Proves Unbeatable on Turf
Highly Wicked gets a nose in front of Tommie G to win the 34th running of the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography / Lou Hodges, Jr.
Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf
HIGHLY WICKED
Wicked Strong-Highly Confused
Breeder: Earl Hernandez, Keith Hernandez & John Duvieilh
Owner: Earl Hernandez, Keith Hernandez & John Duvieilh
Trainer: Sam B. David
Jockey: Marcelino Pedroza, Jr.
Highly Wicked may have finally got her point across to her connections of Earl and Keith Hernandez and John Duvieilh.
She wants to race on turf.
The 4-year-old Wicked Strong daughter closed out her season with a gutsy head win over loose leader Tommie G in the $100,000 Champions Day Ladies Turf.
Trained by Sam David, Highly Wicked ran her record to a perfect 5-for-5 across the blades. She is 6-0-2 from 15 lifetime starts. Weather has certainly played a role in her 2024 campaign with three races being rained off her preferred surface.
“It took a while to realize she only wants turf,” Hernandez said. “Today was a great day. Means so much having a lot of family and friends here. She ran good on dirt last time but she’s really a turf horse.”
Tommie G was valiant in defeat, losing by a head at inflated odds of 82.60-to-1. Clearly a Test rallied in the lane for third in the 11-horse field. Highly Wicked picked up her first stakes win in going about 1-1/16-miles on a firm course in 1:49.92.
“Her races have been really good lately, “ trainer Sam David said, “She used to be one dimensional and wanted to go to the lead and that was it. Now she’s able to rate a little bit and it’s going to help her in the long run. You can’t ask for a filly to try harder than she does every time she comes over. We are really proud of her.”
