STAR SPANGLED KID hits the big time

By ITCH

Will the eight-month layoff be the new en vogue Simulated training method?

It might be after players take a look at STAR SPANGLED KID, who exploded onto the handicap division scene here with a convincing score in the $750,000 Grade I Maryland Special.

A brown 4yo colt by Smarty Jones, Star Spangled Kid was ninth in last year’s Traveler’s and then went to the shelf, as the operator of Bulletwork stables apparently left the Sim. Eight months later, the barns are under new ownership, and the kyclocker horses are coming back with a vengeance.

None more so than Star Spangled Kid, who made his second race back a smashing success, capturing his first Grade I in the Maryland Special and defeating the No. 1, 2 and 4 horses in the Sim’s Classic Division for older horses. That’s SOLAR SONG, GRACEPOINTE PRAYER and AWESOME FORCE left in the wake this day of a potential new Sim superstar.

In rallying to finish second, Squirrel’s Solar Song claims the coveted No. 1 spot in the Classic Division. The Big Horse was all out to pass Kingman’s SUMMER WINE for the place money. It must be said that Summer Wine did himself and his trainer proud in this race, justifying Kingman’s pre-race comments that his horse belonged with the Big Three. Indeed, he defeated two out of three of them and very nearly beat them all.

Will’s Awesome Force raced in company with Solar Song in the early stages, just has he had on his way to winning the Grade I Sand Castle. Saturday was different, however, and old SS started pulling away from AF about halfway through the race.

Gracepointe Prayer could not suffer the curse of this writer’s good intentions, as Pazjazz’s horse was caught four wide in the early going, and never was able to claim a pace advantage as had been predicted here. He was flat by the end and finished fourth.

Solar Song was the only horse shipping from Dubai to hit the board. The 64 points for second place make him the new No. 1. Congratulations on the day, however, go to the new operators of Bulletwork and Star Spangled Kid.