Touchuponastar, Lagynos Each Surpass $2M in Earnings on Louisiana Derby Day

Two horses cleared the $2 million career earnings mark on the same Saturday afternoon in New Orleans, a coincidence that added another layer to an already loaded stakes card at Fair Grounds Race Course.

Touchuponastar took the New Orleans Classic, while Lagynos threaded the needle in the Muniz Memorial Classic, and both victories pushed their respective earners past the seven-figure milestone. The twin milestones arrived on a day that was already circled on every serious horseplayer's calendar: Louisiana Derby Day, March 21, 2026, with $2.55 million in total stakes purses spread across seven races and a full 14-race card that kicked off at noon.

Lagynos came in as a justified favorite. Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and owned by HRH Prince Sultan Bin Mishal Al Saud, the multiple graded stakes winner had captured the Fair Grounds Stakes (Grade 3) in February and arrived at the Muniz in what connections described as sharp form. Jose Ortiz had the mount, and the combination delivered. Surpassing $2 million in career earnings in the process made it a day worth remembering for the connections of one of the meet's marquee horses.

The rest of the card offered its own compelling story lines. Emerging Market punched his ticket to the Kentucky Derby by winning the Grade 2 TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby, a $1 million race that offers 200 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Life of Joy upended Bella Ballerina in the Grade 2 Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks, the $400,000 companion race that awards 200 qualifying points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.

The field for the stakes races on the day included a competitive mix of horses and connections worth noting. Way to Be Marie, trained by Kenneally and ridden by Saez, went off at 3-1. Ready for Shirl with Hernandez up checked in at 7-2, the same price as the Irish-bred Sea To Sky (IRE), handled by Jose Ortiz for trainer Cherie DeVaux. For Love and Honor drew Tyler Gaffalione for trainer Joe Sharp at 5-1, sharing that price with Cupids Crush, trained by Hugh Robertson. Gavea (GER), saddled by Al Stall Jr. and ridden by Flavien Prat, was listed at 6-1.

The scale of Saturday's card was striking in context. The total daily purse figure for March 21 reached $3,075,000 across 14 races run on nine dirt courses and five turf courses, dwarfing every other recent Fair Grounds racing date. The next closest in the preceding stretch was a Thursday card on March 19 that drew $391,000, underscoring just how concentrated the money and talent were for Louisiana Derby weekend.

Fair Grounds, which has hosted racing on that New Orleans site since as early as 1838, put its biggest day of the spring meet on full display. The back half of the weekend continued Sunday with a $640,000 card scheduled across eight dirt and five turf races, but nothing on the calendar was going to replicate the rare sight of two horses each banking their two-millionth career dollar on the same afternoon.