CHARLOTTE — Jake Delhomme knows a little something about dramatic finishes and historic upsets from unlikely sources.
But he didn't realize Saturday was going to be another one for him. And honestly, there was no reason to expect it.
But in horse racing, as in football and life, sometimes the unexpected happens.
The former Panthers quarterback and longtime thoroughbred trainer got "the biggest win of our career, easily," in Saturday's New Orleans Classic at the Fair Grounds, when his Touchuponastar (with jockey Timothy Thornton aboard) won in 1:48.10.
But it wasn't his time, as much as the field he was running against.
See, Touchuponastar is a 6-year-old gelding (meaning there are no stud fees in his future, just racing), for which Delhomme paid $15,000 at the yearling sale five years ago.
The horse that came in third Saturday was Sierra Leone, who won the Breeders Cup Classic last year, and was purchased for $2.3 million. (The second-place horse, Hall Of Fame, sold for $1.4 million.)
Delhomme compared the annual sale to the NFL Draft, and joked that made Touchuponastar "undrafted" — just like he was. That didn't keep them from a $300,000 prize for the win.
Touchuponastar might have been punching over his weight, but that doesn't mean he's not capable of a knockout.
But this wasn't just an upset, this was Delhomme and the Panthers going into St. Louis and beating Hall of Famers Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace, and Isaac Bruce and the Rams in the 2003 playoffs in double overtime.
Asked if there was any reason to expect this kind of result, Delhomme just laughed.
"No, he said casually. "I mean, that was the best horse in the world last year. Now, it was his first race this year, and he hasn't run since November, so he probably wasn't 100 percent."
Then, channeling his old coach John Fox, he quickly put it in perspective.
"But, it is what it is," Delhomme said. "It counts."
The upset was huge news in racing circles, as Touchuponastar was the lead story in Monday's Thoroughbred Daily News, an industry newsletter, putting him and Delhomme right at the top of the page alongside legendary trainer Bob Baffert.
As soon as the result was posted Saturday, Delhomme started hearing from a ton of friends and former co-workers, including former general manager Marty Hurney (who just bought a few horses and raced for the first time recently), Bills GM Brandon Beane, along with Luke Kuechly, Jeff King, and many others.
"My phone was blowing up," he said.
It was the extension of a good week for Delhomme, who also has a promising 3-year-old filly named Kalil — in honor of his former center Ryan Kalil — that won last Wednesday.
"We named her Kalil for a reason," he said of the filly. "We shouldn't have been able to buy her for what we did, just like we should have never been able to draft an All-Pro center in the late second round. And the same way he didn't really become dominant until his second year, we thought she was going to be great at first, and it's taking a minute, but now she's hitting her stride."
Photos of quarterback Jake Delhomme throughout his years as a Carolina Panther.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) prepares to throw a pass during an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, left, talks with general manager Marty Hurney after the second day of the football team's minicamp, Saturday, May 5, 2007, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) celebrates the Panthers' 29-21 victory over the Chicago Bears with teammate Mike Minter (30) in their NFC divisional playoff football game in Chicago, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006. The Panthers will play the Seattle Seahawks for the NFC conference championship. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) celebrates while leaving the field after defeating the New Orleans Saints' 27-10 in an NFL football game at LSU's Tiger Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Bill Feig)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme, left, shares a laugh with receiver Steve Smith, right, during the team's final practice of training camp in Spartanburg, S.C., Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005.(AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Monday, Sept. 28, 2009, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
Carolina Panthers quaterback Jake Delhomme laughs at a question as he's surrounded by the media during a press conference in Houston Monday, Jan. 26, 2004. The Panthers play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVlll on Sunday Feb. 1, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Carolina Panthers' Jake Delhomme (17) is shown against the Atalanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) throws a pass against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl XXXVIII on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Patriots defeated the Panthers 32-29. (AP Photo/Kevin Terrell)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme prepares to throw a first half pass as Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Simeon Rice pursues during their National Football League game Sunday afternoon Sept. 24, 2006 in Tampa, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Buccaneers 26-24. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Carolina Panthers tackle Jordan Gross celebrates with quarterback Jake Delhomme after he rushed for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter during their NFL football game in Baton Rouge, La., on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2005. (AP Photo/Paul Rutherford)
Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) calls out at the line during their NFC wild card playoff football game against the New York Giants at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., Sunday, Jan. 8, 2006. The Panthers take on the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, Jan. 22 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) looks to pass under pressure from Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Spencer Johnson (91) during an NFL football game, Sunday, October 25, 2009. The Bills won the game, 20-9. (AP Photo/Paul Abell)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) celebrates after his 39-yard touchdown pass against the New England Patriots in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXXVIII Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Carolina Panthers running back Stephen Davis (48) is congratulated by quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) after his first run during the Panthers' 21-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday Sept. 1, 2005. The Panthers watched and waited to see if Davis could pass his first test on his surgically repaired knee. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme lifts up head coach John Fox after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 14-3 in the NFC Championship game in Philadelphia Sunday, Jan. 18, 2004. (AP Photo/Miles Kennedy)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) throws a pass on the run during an NFC Divisional Playoff Game against the St. Louis Rams. The Panthers defeated the Rams 29-23 in overtime on January 10, 2004 in St. Louis, Missouri. (AP Photo/Kevin Terrell)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme answers questions during media day, Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Super Bowl XXXVIII will be played Sunday, Feb. 1, 2004 between the New England Patriots and the Carolina Panthers. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme prepares to pass the ball during the first quarter of an NFL football game against the New York Giants on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2008, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass in the first quarter of their NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in New Orleans, Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme celebrates after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 14-3 in the NFC Championship game in Philadelphia Sunday, Jan. 18, 2004. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) celebrates as Jacksonville Jaguars' Danny Clark (54) looks on after Delhomme threw a 12-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left in the Panthers' 24-23 win in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday Sept. 7, 2003. (AP Photo/Rusty Burroughs)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme passes during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) passes during an NFL game against the Oakland Raiders, Nov. 9, 2008 in Oakland. (AP Photos/Greg Trott)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme throws a pass during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the San Diego Chargers, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008, in San Diego. The Panthers won 26-24. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme looks to pass during an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers' Jake Delhomme, left, is shown in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007. (AP Photo/Mike McCarn)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) scrambles as New Orleans Saints' Charles Grant (94) pursues during the second half of the Panthers' 30-7 win in an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2008. (AP Photo/Rick Havner)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) talks with head coach John Fox during an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 14, 2008. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme (17) and Steve Smith (89), congratulate Jonathan Stewart, right, after his touchdown run during an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Sept. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
