Fair Grounds: Touchuponastar wins 4th Champions Day Classic

Touchuponastar put on a dominant display Saturday at Fair Grounds, cruising to an 8 3/4-length romp in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic for Louisiana-breds.

Timothy Thornton rode the heavy favorite for trainer Jeff Delhomme in the 1 1/8-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds and upward.

The 6-year-old gelding broke sharply from post 2 and quickly established an uncontested lead. Touchuponastar clicked off fractions of 23.68 and 47.60 seconds through the opening half-mile, then continued to put daylight between himself and his four rivals up the backstretch.

By the time the field hit the stretch, the race had become a one-horse affair. Touchuponastar glided through three-quarters in 1:11.56 and a mile in 1:36.06, pulling away under a hand ride to finish in a final time of 1:49.46 on the fast main track.

Sippin On Gin, ridden by Alex Concepcion for trainer Calhoun, rallied from off the pace to finish second. The 3-year-old colt tracked along the inside up the backstretch, advanced to challenge for the place spot in the stretch and held second best. Letmikefigureitout (8-1), with Magnon aboard for Alan Klanfer, tracked the pace three wide, closed some ground in the far turn and finished third. Benoit sat behind the pace, backed off in the far turn and crossed fourth. Sonya Knows Better trailed throughout and finished last.

Bred in Louisiana by Coteau Grove Farms, Touchuponastar captured his fourth consecutive edition of the Louisiana Champions Day Classic and improved his career record to 26: 19-4-2. The Star Guitar gelding pushed his lifetime earnings to $1,670,000.

Touchuponastar paid $2.10, $2.10 and $2.10. Sippin On Gin returned $3.60 and $2.10 to place and show. Letmikefigureitout paid $2.10 to show.