Touchuponastar tries for breakthrough in Sexton Mile

Twice a second-place finisher in the race, Touchuponastar tries a third time to win the Grade 3, $400,000 Steve Sexton Mile, an open-company, two-turn dirt route Monday at Lone Star Park.

The richest horse race in Texas is the feature on a card worth more than $1.3 million. The Sexton Mile at 7:37 p.m. EDT is the 11th of 12 races on the Memorial Day program that starts at 2:35 p.m.

Click here for Lone Star Park entries and results.

The morning-line favorite in the field of 11, Touchuponastar (2-1) has been a gate-to-wire winner in his last four starts including the New Orleans Classic (G2) and three Louisiana-bred stakes. The 6-year-old Star Guitar gelding owned by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme and trained by his brother Jeff Delhomme will be ridden as usual by Tim Thornton. Touchuponastar drew post 9.

Most recently a distant third in the Oaklawn Mile (G3) on March 29, The Wine Steward (7-2) makes his third start as a 4-year-old. The Vino Rosso colt owned by Paradise Farms and David Staudacher won two starts back in the Fifth Season going a mile at Oaklawn. Mike Maker trains The Wine Steward, who breaks from post 8 with jockey Luis Sáez.

Last year’s Sexton Mile winner Heroic Move (4-1) has scored twice in seven starts since. Last month the 5-year-old Quality Road horse owned by Arnold Bennewith, the Wiest family, Randy Howg, Norman Tremblay and R 6 Stable won by eight lengths in the black-type, 1 1/8-mile Sunland Park Stakes. Harry Hernández keeps the ride for trainer Robertino Diodoro and starts from post 2.

Heroic Move’s stablemate Komorebino Omoide (6-1) raced to an 11-length victory April 26 against eight overmatched starters in the 1 1/16-mile Gus Fonner Stakes at Fonner Park. That was a confidence builder for the Japan-bred, 5-year-old son of California Chrome after a last-place finish in the five-horse, 1 1/8-mile New Orleans Classic. A Perry Martin homebred, Ramón Vázquez rides Komorebino Omoide from post 3.

Because Texas is not part of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority and also does not allow off-track wagering, the only legal betting on the Sexton Mile card is restricted to in-state racing outlets.