Charles Smith homebred String King, who has registered all seven of his stakes victories on turf, will switch to the main track for a start in the $150,000 Louisiana Champions Day Classic Dec. 14 at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots.
A 5-year-old Crowned King gelding, String King enters the 1 1/8-mile dirt race off a three-quarter-length victory in the Mr. Sulu Stakes Nov. 23 at Fair Grounds. String King has won that one-mile turf race for Louisiana-breds two years in a row.
String King and five-time stakes winner Populist Politics (who won the 2011 Mr. Sulu) are the co-highweights for Saturday's race. Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence's Populist Politics enters off a third-place finish to Sunbean in the Gold Cup Stakes Nov. 2 at Delta Downs.
Brittlyn Stable's Sunbean also is entered in the Louisiana Champions Day Classic.
The Classic serves as the main event of the New Orleans oval's annual eight-stakes race series for Thoroughbreds that is restricted to accredited Louisiana-breds. With 13 races scheduled on Saturday, the first post will be moved to 12:30 p.m. CST.