String King Impressive in LA Turf Classic
Image:
Description:
Louisiana-bred String King seems to be getting better with age as the 7-year-old gelding rolled to an impressive victory in the Louisiana Turf Classic at Harrah's Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack Aug. 8.
The Turf Classic was one of seven stakes on the Louisiana Downs card, six of which were for accredited Louisiana-breds. In the only open race, Melissa Cantacuzene's The Pickett Factor won the $100,000 Super Derby Prelude Stakes.
Owned, bred, and trained by Charles Craig Smith, 3-5 favorite String King stalked the pace from the inside before making a winning move rounding the second turn in the 1 1/16-mile grass test and was never tested down the lane as he drew off to win by four lengths.
The victory was the 17th win in 37 career starts for the son of Crowned King, who has 12 additional placings to his credit and earnings of $935,552.
String King paid $3.20, $2.20, and $2.10, with Well's Gold, who closed late for second, returning $4.40 and $3.80. Big Bad Doug finished third, paying $4.80. Drewssasin and Galveston Harbor, the respective second- and third-place finishers to String King in the Louisiana Legends Turf, had been expected to pose the biggest challenge to the winner but were scratched.
In the Prelude, the local prep for Super Derby (gr. II) on Sept. 12, The Pickett Factor stalked the early pace from the outside up the backstretch and took charge at the head of the stretch and held off 4-5 favorite Allied Air Raid late for a 1 1/4-length win.
The Pickett Factor, bred in Louisiana by Dr. E. O. Pickett, improved to 4-0-1 from five starts for trainer Ralph Irwin.
One of the most impressive performances on the day came from Dr. Glen Warren's homebred Warren's Rebel, who won the $50,000 Sprint Stakes by two lengths in final time of 1:09.97.
The 8-1 shot, a 5-year-old daughter of Ole Rebel trained by Andrew Leggio Jr. and ridden by Luis Batista, stalked the pace of Top Cat Boogie gained the lead at the eighth pole and continued on for the victory.
In the other $50,000 stakes on the card, trainer Leggio saddled Another Pinot to win the Filly and Mare Sprint. The 4-year-old daughter of B. J.'s Mark bred and owned by Leggio and Warren, posted a one-length victory at 7-1 odds.
In the $75,000 Distaff Stakes, Jackie Barberito's Flower Lady upset 8-5 favorite Pacific Pink, making a winning move along the rail at 14-1 odds. The victory was the first in stakes company for the 5-year-old Flower Alley mare who has won five of 21 starts and earned $170,160.