String King seeks repeat in Louisiana Cup Turf Classic

String King has been one of the premier turf horses based in Louisiana over the past several years, and on Saturday, he will be out to nail down the eighth stakes win of his career in the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Turf Classic. The 1 1/16-mile race he captured a year ago is one of eight restricted stakes on a program that also includes a Super Derby prep, the $100,000 Prelude. Together, the stakes are worth $700,000.

String King has won 12 of 29 starts and $625,652 since launching his career at Louisiana Downs in May 2011. High points include two wins in the Louisiana Champions Day Turf at Fair Grounds and a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Mervin Muniz in 2013. Over the Louisiana Downs course, the horse is 5 for 12.

“I’m blessed to have him,” said Charlie Smith, who bred, owns, and trains the 6-year-old String King. “He’s sound. He’s happy. I try to keep him that way. He just seems to answer every call. He’s just tough.”

Key Contenders

String King (Last 3 Beyers: 93-93-92)

String King enters the Turf Classic off a half-length win in an open-company allowance at Louisiana Downs on July 12. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93 for his first start back from a six-month freshening and has trained well since, said Smith.

“He came out of it real well,” Smith said. “He was touting me three or four days afterward. I look for him to come back and run strong.”

String King will break from post 3 in a field of 12 under jockey Pat Johnson.

“He’s very versatile,” Smith said of String King. “If something happens at the break and he were to get shuffled back, he can come on at the end. But I would prefer him on the front end.”

Well’s Gold (Last 3 Beyers: 93-83-82)

He was second to String King in the allowance last month, and before that, he won a $25,000 optional claimer in his first start since March.

Designer Legs tries turf

Grade 2 winner Designer Legs has come home to Louisiana to test her skills on turf in the $150,000 Elge Rasberry for 3-year-old fillies, a stakes restricted to Louisiana-bred sales graduates. It will be at a mile. Designer Legs’s sire, Graeme Hall, gets 8 percent winners on turf, while her dam has produced a runner who is multiple-placed on grass. Colby Hernandez has the mount for trainer Dallas Stewart.

◗ Louisiana Flyboy will be seeking his second straight stakes win when he tries turf in the $150,000 A.L. “Red” Erwin, the male counterpart to the Elge Rasberry. His sire, Fusaichi Pegasus is getting 10 percent winners on grass.

◗ Joy of the Saints and Union Builder, who won divisions of the D.S. “Shine” Young Memorial at Evangeline Downs, are on hand for the respective $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies and the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile.

◗ Snappy Girl shakes Heitai when she returns to racing with the girls in the $50,000 Louisiana Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Marv in Lafitte also shakes Heitai in the $50,000 Sprint.

◗ I Dazzle invades for a deep $75,000 Distaff.