For String King, milestone comes with disappointment

NEW ORLEANS – On paper, it looked like only something crazy could get String King beat Saturday in the Louisiana Champions Day Turf, a race String King had won three times before and in which he was the 4-5 post-time favorite. The starting gate clanged and opened, horses and riders jousted for early position, and before a quarter-mile had been run, something crazy happened.

A horse named Benwill clipped heels and unseated jockey Marcelino Pedroza, and Benwill, evidently emboldened by the incident, took off and made a beeline for the lead. He ran up inside of String King into the first turn and careened into him, knocking String King six or seven paths out into the course as he and Richard Eramia leaned into the bend.

That cost String King valuable position as well as much of his forward momentum, and String King came back with cuts in both hind legs and on his right front leg. He lost the Turf by a nose to the longshot Hot Zapper, who never has been in String King’s class. The second-place finish pushed String King’s career earnings to $1,000,552. Breeder-owner-trainer Charlie Smith, who runs a two-horse stable, would have preferred the win to the earnings milestone.

“It’s kind of bittersweet to reach the million-dollar mark and not win the race,” Smith said Sunday. “I was so disappointed. That loose horse just messed up everything.”

The good news is that String King’s injuries appear to be superficial. They likely will not cost him training time, said Smith, and String King will be pointed to the Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap next month, which he won early this year.

Smith has gone home to northwest Louisiana but left String King behind with trainer Kenny Hargrave, who looks after String King for Smith whenever he leaves the horse at Fair Grounds for an extended period.

“I guess we’ll live to fight another day,” said Smith.