A Fantastic Finale To The Fair Grounds Meet For Clear Creek Stud
(Folsom, LA) - The 2024-25 Fair Grounds race meet came to a close this weekend and we would like to congratulate the meet’s Leading owner – Godolophin, Leading trainer – Joe Sharp and Leading jockey – Jose Ortiz. But the BIG news for the weekend came when Star Guitar’s son, Touchuponastar, lead every step of the way to capture the Grade II New Orleans Classic by two and a half lengths. The race drew national attention by the fact that last year’s Three-Year-Old Champion and Breeders Cup Classic winner, Sierra Leone was making his first start of the year in the New Orleans Classic. The purse for the New Orleans Classic was $500,000. With the $300,000 to the winner that Touchuponastar earned boosted his lifetime earnings to $1,412,900 with fifteen wins from twenty-one starts which included twelve stakes wins and three Graded stakes placings before Saturday. The Set-Hut team of Jake Delhomme owner, Jeff Delhomme trainer and Jerry Delhomme, the father that directs the operation have much to be proud of and admired for opted to take the chance to run in the New Orleans Classic and by-passing Sunday’s Star Guitar Stakes.
Saturday also featured the Crescent City Derby, where we witnessed Mr. Money’s Sippin On Gin come from off the pace to win by a head from the full field of fourteen starters. Owned and bred by the Allied Racing Stable LLC of Chester Thomas, Sippin On Gin gained his second stakes win having previously won the Louisiana Stallion of the Year Stakes at the Fair Grounds. From four starts, Sippin On Gin now has three wins and earnings of $166,400.
On closing day the Fair Grounds ran three more stakes races, all for accredited Louisiana breds. In the Page Cortez Stakes, named after the former President of the Louisiana Senate and a friend to the racing industry in Louisiana, Louisiana’s perennially leading sire, Star Guitar, added another stakes winner to his record when Brittlyn Stable’s Rue Lala became a stakes winner after being stakes placed on three previous occasions. Rue Lala relaxed off the pace then made her move as they turned for home and won by a comfortable two lengths. Rue Lala has now earned $344,442 with five wins, twelve seconds and five thirds.
Also worth mentioning is the Clearly Now had an Allowance race winner and Clearly A Test was stakes placed in the Shantel Lanerie Memorial Stakes, the last race of the Fair Grounds meet.
You can see Star Guitar, Mr. Money, Clearly Now and all the Clear Creek Stud stallions by calling 985-796-5563 to arrange a visit or to book your mare. You can also check out our web site at www.clearcreekstud.com
