Touchuponastar Upsets Champion Sierra Leone In New Orleans Classic

[Wandering Eyes]

Lousiana-bred millionaire TOUCHUPONASTAR (g, 6, Star Guitar–Touch Magic, by Lion Heart) could have won the Sunday stakes named for his sire practically by just showing up, but instead, connections took the path of greater resistance and allowed him to take his chance against the likes of Eclipse Award and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) in Saturday's GII New Orleans Classic Stakes. Owned by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme's Set-Hut LLC, the Louisana-bred played catch me if you can in front of a partisan crowd in the Big Easy and catch him they could not. Sent immediately into the lead by Tim Thornton, Touchuponastar galloped them along in :24 flat and :47.40 as Sierra Leone caboosed the field while never too far away. Continuing to travel strongly through three-quarters in 1:10.78, the hickory-tough gelding, twice second in the GIII Steve Sexton Mile, but minus a graded victory, kept on keeping on and crossed the wire comfortably best. 'Rising Star' Hall of Fame (Gun Runner) was second ahead of Sierra Leone, who surely needed the run and was doing his best work through the line. The final time for the nine furlongs over a fast strip was a solid 1:48.10. Sales history: $15,000 Ylg '20 TTAYRL. Lifetime Record: 21-15-4-2. O-Set Hut LLC; B-Coteau Grove Farm (LA); T-Jeff Delhomme.

 

Louisiana-Bred #5 TOUCHUPONASTAR dominates in the $500,000 New Orleans Classic (G2) over Hall Of Fame (2nd) and Sierra Leone (3rd) at @fairgroundsnola with Timothy Thornton in the irons for trainer Jeff Delhomme and owner Set-Hut (Jake Delhomme). pic.twitter.com/RTd4uuYgEB

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) March 22, 2025

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