Catching My Eye: Touchuponastar Leads Coteau Grove Farms’ $150,000 Classic Trifecta

It’s not often you see one breeder behind the top three finishers, especially in a stakes race, but that is exactly what happened on Saturday in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Going 1 1/8 miles, Touchuponastar, Tumbarumba, and Cosmic Train, each bred by Coteau Grove Farms, ran first, second, and third.

I’ve been to one broodmare farm in my life, and I learned plenty, but nothing more important than gaining a sense for how much goes into getting a racehorse into the starting gates. The planning, the countless hours of care and attention, the mending of fences, the financial risk, and the potential for heartache. If, like me, you came into this sport with $2 in your hand, a degenerate gambling streak in your soul, and a love for solving handicapping puzzles laid out on PPs, it’s easy to ignore this huge facet of the game and the people behind it.

Located north of Lafayette in Sunset, Louisiana, Keith and Ginger Myers began Coteau Grove Farm in 2008. On hand in the Classic winner’s circle, I was able to talk with the Myerses on Saturday.

“To have three who were bred at the farm run one, two, three--it’s quite rewarding,” Keith Myers said. “What's special is where we are. We’re here at home in Louisiana. We’re very close to Jake (Delhomme), and we see the Delhommes as our family. Having success together makes it more special.”

The Delhommes, as in Louisiana horsemen Jerry, Jeff, and Jake Delhomme. Owned by former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme, Touchuponastar is trained by his brother Jeff. Third-place finisher Cosmic Train is trained by their father Jerry. 

The feature race on Saturday’s Louisiana Champions Day drew the most intriguing match-up, as Set-Hut’s Touchuponastar took on Amerman Racing’s Tumbarumba in the $150,000 Classic. The two of them scared many other older males away. Rightfully so, as the first has been the most dominant figure in the state since I began tuning in, and the latter had taken on many of the upper echelon three-year-olds in the country. It didn’t matter if it was a full field of twelve, this would be a two-horse race. And it played out exactly as everyone had hoped.

Under Tim Thornton, Touchuponastar got the jump and the lead, but Tumbarumba set up close by in second with Florent Geroux in the reins. The game plan was for Tumbarumba to engage around the far turn, but as soon as he did, Touchuponastar spurted away, leaving his top instate rival chasing hopelessly lengths at bay through the wire. Tumbarumba’s tenacity was negated by the exceptional four-year-old son of Star Guitar, who racked up his second Classic score.

“(Touchuponastar’s) mom ran on Oaks Day,” Ginger Myers said. “To see her baby doing this now, it’s special. This is a special baby to us.”

Touchuponastar is out of the Lion Heart mare Touch Magic. Winner of the 2013 Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds, she ran in the Eight Belles (G3) on Kentucky Oaks day. Trained by Brian Lynch, Tumbarumba is by Oscar Performance out of the Street Sense mare Naive Enough. 

“Touchuponastar was big and athletic (as a yearling),” Keith Myers said. “But I don't remember having thoughts that this was going to be the one, really it was a little bit of a surprise. But Andrew did.”

With the help of bloodstock agent Andrew Carey, Coteau Grove has been hard at work improving the quality of Thoroughbred horses in Louisiana. The Classic exacta are two of the poster children for the program. The 2022 Crescent City Derby winner, Cosmic Train is no slouch himself.

Touchuponastar served up a 104 Brisnet Speed figure, tying his career best earned winning the 2022 Classic. With a lifetime record of 13-10-2-1 and $618,100 in purses, the question remains could Touchuponastar step out of Louisiana and take on top stakes routers.

“The Louisiana breeders program is so great over here,” trainer Jeff Delhomme said. “It gives us the opportunity to run for the money. We don't need to chase the money. We can stay right here. Would we like another chance next year in the Steve Sexton? Yes. Maybe try him this year in the New Orleans Classic? Yes. I don't think we need to go far to take on better competition, but I think all these Louisiana breds are giving us all we can handle right now.”

Coteau Grove Farm is a major reason why the Louisiana-bred bar continues to be raised, allowing Touchuponastar to find worthy foes across his home state. Cheers to all the breeders who fill our starting gates.