String King towers over field in John Henry
OPELOUSAS, La. – It is only fitting that the next chapter in the String King story is set for Saturday night at Evangeline Downs in the $60,000 John Henry Stakes. There are some real similarities between the two bay geldings beyond just appearances.
Both sport modest pedigrees. String King is by Crowned King out of the Fly a Kite mare String Dancer. Each got his first stakes victory in Louisiana, and thanks to String King’s win in the Grade 3 Col. E.R. Bradley Handicap at Fair Grounds in his last start, both have black type beside their names.
But perhaps the biggest thing the two have in common is their blue-collar work ethic that produced results time and again, regardless of circumstance. Both also are known for their sometimes-cantankerous behavior.
“That’s the reason why I cut him,” says Charlie Smith, who bred, owns, and trains the 7-year-old String King, a winner of 15 of his 34 starts and more than $818,000. “It didn’t seem to help much. He can be a handful – not mean rank, just antsy. He wants to get down to business.”
Key contenders
String King (Last 3 Beyers: 96-91-96)
* As a graded winner, he towers over most of these and has beaten the majority of his returning rivals at some point over the years. He also is a stakes winner over the main track, should the race get rained off the grass, a situation he was successful with in winning the Louisiana Turf Cup at Louisiana Downs last summer. On Wednesday, Smith said, “We are going either way.”
* The heavy favorite is going to be reunited with jockey Richard Eramia in the John Henry. The two have teamed up to win several stakes, including the Louisiana Legends Turf in 2013 in his lone start over the Evangeline turf.
McGehee’s Mercy (Last 3 Beyers: 93-78-84)
* Comes off a sharp win in the Dixie Poker Ace against fellow Louisiana-breds at Fair Grounds, where he spiked a career-best Beyer. The Corale “Bunky” Richards charge is a three-time winner over the local lawn and has missed the trifecta only once in six starts.
Benwill (Last 3 Beyers: 78-87-85)
* Is another horse for the course as he has won two of his three starts over the Evangeline green, including this race last year and an overnight stakes event last summer. He accomplished the latter in wire-to-wire fashion, and the pace picture Saturday is a little cloudy.