Touchuponastar Targets Third LA Champions Day Classic

Set-Hut's Touchuponastar  looks to solidify his place as a Louisiana-bred legend Dec. 14 when he targets a third consecutive victory in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.

Victory Saturday would elevate the 5-year-old Star Guitar   gelding to millionaire status. Never off the board in 18 career starts, the Jeff Delhomme trainee is 11-for-13 in state-bred restricted races with eight stakes victories. Both state-bred losses came in his first three career starts.

His dominance against Louisiana-breds has earned him 3-5 favoritism on the morning line despite exiting consecutive losses, both against open stakes company, for the first time in his career.

Only four rivals will take up the challenge, with both Tdzshininluckystar  and Benoit  cross-entered in other races on the card.

All four runners exit the Nov. 23 Jacob V. Morreale Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds. Delanie Calais Jr.'s Cosmic Train  rallied from last to defeat Tdzshininluckystar by a head. Allnight Moonlight  was 1 1/4 lengths behind in fifth while Benoit was another 2 3/4 lengths back in sixth.

The 1 1/8-mile feature appears early in the card thanks to the small field, going off at 1:45 p.m. CT as race 3, and sets the stage for the rest of the Louisiana Champions Day action.

Free Like a Girl Attempts 20th Stakes Win

Gerald Bruno Jr., Chasey Deville Pomier, and Jerry Caroom's Free Like a Girl  has already asserted herself as a Louisiana-bred legend, having earned more than $2 million, with 21 wins in 45 starts.

However, the Pomier-trained, two-time grade 1-placed daughter of El Deal  could achieve another career milestone, her 20th stakes win, in the six-furlong, $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint Stakes.

Among her competition are Noneya , Freeburn , and Six String , the respective 1-2-3 finishers of the Nov. 22 Delmar R. Caldwell Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds over the same distance.

Other Action on Louisiana Champions Day

Allied Racing Stable's multiple stakes winner Jack Hammer  returns from a nine-month layoff for trainer Bret Calhoun as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the six-furlong, $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Sprint Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen will try to keep Coteau Grove Farms' 3-year-old filly Eye of the Pharoah unbeaten in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Turf Stakes. She breaks from the far outside in post 11 for the about 1 1/16-mile contest.

The boys will also travel about 1 1/16 miles in the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Turf Stakes. Richard Painter and Dewberry Farm's Woods N Water  will attempt to improve for new trainer Samuel Breaux following consecutive runner-up efforts at Remington Park.

Valene Farms' Smoken Wicked  is the 8-5 favorite in the six-furlong $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Juvenile Stakes. The grade 2-placed son of Bobby's Wicked One   has faced the toughest competition among the seven opponents, having finished fourth in two grade 1 events for trainer Dallas Stewart.

Norman Stables' Secret Faith  is the class of the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Lassie Stakes. The daughter of Aurelius Maximus  is 5-for-5 to start her career for trainer Jayde Gelner with four stakes wins and a combined margin of 33 1/4 lengths.