What’s striking about Star Street is how much he doesn’t stand out.  He’s a big bay gelding with a star, and he has the shiny coat and lovely build typical of an elite show hunter. But Star Street is definitely different from the second year green mounts he competed against at this year’s Devon Horse Show and County Fair.

“The response I used to get was, ‘Oh, that’s a Thoroughbred.’ Now the response I get is, ‘That’s a Thoroughbred?’ because he’s so obese,” joked Kelly Wilson.

This year, Wilson and co-owner Mark Gory aimed Star Street at the most traditional show on the calendar. It’s only fitting as his rags-to-riches tale echoes the tales of so many top horses that have also taken a turn around the Dixon Oval in Devon, Pa.

Star Street (Empire Maker—Fitnah, Fit To Fight) sold as a yearling for $525,000 at the Keeneland September Sale (Ky.), and found his way to the Parx Racetrack in Bensalem, Pa., near Philadelphia. He raced under the name Open Space and performed badly, never winning a race.

That’s where Gory came in. He was no stranger to retraining race horses, nor to the show world. He grew up riding with the likes of Neal Shapiro and Norman Dello Joio, showing at Devon as a junior and amateur. Eventually he started his own show barn, taking young riders to major shows and occasionally finding a reject at the Fingerlakes Racetrack (N.Y.) to retrain as a hunter or jumper. He found his way from the show world to racing about eight years ago, but he hadn’t forgotten his hunter/jumper roots.

“I was in my barn with a little string of horses when I saw him walk in,” recalled Gory, of Star Street. “I told them to let me know when he’s too slow. A year and a half later the trainer walked in and said, ‘You still want the horse? You can buy him after this race.’ ”

Gory, Ambler, Pa., plunked down $2,000 for the 4-year-old, led him onto his trailer and turned him out at his farm. After some time off, he started him back slowly. The horse showed serious talent longeing, free jumping and under tack, and he looked just as good when he eventually started at a few smaller shows. That’s when Gory called Wilson, knowing she would put in the time and effort to give him a positive experience.

Wilson brought him to her Union Station Show Stables in Gladstone, N.J. He started winning in Thoroughbred and first year green classes right off the bat, and they finished the 2012 season with ribbons at Capital Challenge (Md.) and the Pennsylvania National. They also won Take 2 Thoroughbred Classics at Garden State  (N.J.) and Skidmore Saratoga Classic (N.Y.).

This year they sit at the top of Zone 2’s second year green standings and have turned their attention to USHJA National Hunter Derbies rather than the Thoroughbred divisions. They headed to Devon having just picked up the reserve second year title at Garden State. At Devon they finished sixth in the second year green hunter stakes, and seventh in the handy class.

“He’s grown up a lot since last year, and as a second year horse he just keeps getting better and better,” Wilson said. “He’s always had the scope and the talent, and we just had to work through the nerves. I’ve just had to keep getting him in the ring and keeping him properly fit, make sure he’s strong enough, but not overly fit. By now he’s an old pro.”

At home Star Street keeps a relaxed lifestyle. He’s in his field for a few hours a day, and his favorite pastime is snoozing under a shady tree. These days Wilson minimizes work in the ring, preferring to work him in a field and on trails, with minimal jumping and plenty of hill work.

Gory was on hand to watch Star Street make his Devon debut, the only Thoroughbred in his division and possibly the only one competing in the open divisions. For Wilson the trip was doubly special, as it marked her first time competing at Devon since 1996.

“He’s a special horse who was always going to do something special with his life,” said Wilson. “It just turned out not to be racing. Some people say retired race horse, but I prefer previous race horse. He now has a new career, and he’s really good at it. He’s smart and brave and a really good guy.”