Fair Grounds Hosts Two Grade 2 Wins, Both Horses Cross $2 Million Mark

Touchuponastar delivered the signature performance of Louisiana Derby Day at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots on March 21, winning the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic presented by Hagyard in a new track record of 1:46.84 and pushing his career earnings to $2,060,000 as the second-highest earning Louisiana-bred in history.

The dual Louisiana-bred Horse of the Year, who defeated 2024 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Sierra Leone among others in the 2025 New Orleans Classic, repeated in the $465,000 race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. His time was more than a second faster than his 1:48.10 clocking a year earlier and eclipsed Nates Mineshaft's track standard of 1:47.64 from the 2012 New Orleans Classic, then run as a handicap.

Facing other speed in the race, in contrast to last year when he was the lone front-runner, Touchuponastar needed to set a snappy pace, establishing fractions of :22.77, :46.40, and 1:09.96, though he always seemed to be traveling comfortably for jockey Marcelino Pedroza Jr. Pedroza, subbing for an injured Timmy Thornton, Touchuponastar's regular rider, then turned his mount loose in early stretch, putting aside a bid from Life and Times, who would retreat to be a distant third. Leading throughout, Touchuponastar outlasted a hard-charging Corporate Power by a half-length.

Thornton, who had ridden the gelding in all but one of his 27 career starts, was recovering from an injury suffered while warming up Set-Hut runner Soft Hands before a March 7 race at Fair Grounds. The substitute handled the assignment with authority. "There was a little pressure," Pedroza said, "but after the gates opened, I let him go to the front and he did the rest for me. Thanks to Mr. Delhomme, all the family — their great work with this horse made my job a lot easier."

With a massive crowd cheering him on from the stands, the speedy son of Star Guitar celebrated his seventh birthday by winning in spectacular fashion. The 7-year-old bay gelding by Star Guitar, bred by Coteau Grove Farms in Louisiana out of the Lion Heart mare Touch Magic, won for the 21st time in 28 starts. A $15,000 purchase by owner Jake Delhomme of Set-Hut, Touchuponastar now has earnings of $2.06 million. His brother, Jeff, trains the horse.

Owner Jake Delhomme, the former NFL and UL quarterback, summed it up simply in the crowded winner's circle. "He's just different," Delhomme said. "He's been a joy to have." The losing jockey had no argument. "Every time we were getting close to the winner, he ran on again," said Luis Saez, aboard Corporate Power. "He's a tough horse to beat."

The Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic on the turf belonged to a different kind of millionaire. A race later, Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud's Lagynos also surpassed $2 million in earnings in capturing the $294,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes, the most prestigious grass race at Fair Grounds. Sitting a sweet trip under José Ortiz, Lagynos stalked the leaders before angling out to split horses at the head of the lane, defeating runner-up Tom's Magic by a length, with Program Trading settling for the show.

The winner was timed in 1:48.17 for 1 1/8 miles on firm turf, closing from a couple of lengths behind fractions of :23.53, :48.33, and 1:12.37 set by Idratherbeblessed, who weakened to finish last in the seven-horse field. The 5-year-old Kantharos chestnut, trained by Steven M. Asmussen, improved his record to 25-7-5-7 with earnings of $2,010,166. He paid $5.20 to win.

"This is a nice horse," Ortiz said. "He does everything right, and he always shows up, even when he gets beat."

Ortiz guided the Kantharos horse through traffic for trainer Steve Asmussen, who saddled the winner for owner HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud — and the Muniz win gave Ortiz his fifth victory on the Fair Grounds card for the day.

The pairing of both Grade 2 winners crossing the $2 million threshold on the same afternoon underscored the depth of talent Fair Grounds produced on closing weekend. Touchuponastar did it by rewriting the record books on dirt; Lagynos did it with the kind of patient, rail-to-wide move that makes turf racing look easy. The numbers say neither horse is finished yet.