2017 SEASON: finished with 13 wins in Maryland, a circuit he once dominated … retired Mid-Atlantic legend Ben’s Cat June 27 after three losses to open his 11-year-old campaign … the Leatherbury-bred, owned and trained Ben’s Cat had 32 wins, 26 stakes wins and nearly $2.7 in purse earnings from 63 starts … four-time Maryland Horse of the Year Ben’s Cat was euthanized July 18 following complications from colic surgery … Laurel’s hosted Ben’s Cat Day Nov. 11 and buried his ashes next to the historic paddock … Ben’s Cat was an overwhelming winner of the 2017 Vox Populi Award, created by late Secretariat owner Penny Chenery … enjoyed success with another 11-year-old, Classic Wildcat, who won five of 13 starts and was 28-for-94 lifetime heading into 2018.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: finished with 14 wins in the local standings in 2016…campaigned multi-millionaire Maryland-bred Ben’s Cat to two wins to open his 10-year-old season, including the Jim McKay Turf Sprint for the fourth straight year and fifth in the last six…started the fewest horses (96) of a career that dates back to 1959…reached the pinnacle of the industry when he was inducted into to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame on Aug. 7, 2015 in Saratoga Springs, N.Y….ended the year with 15 wins on the Maryland circuit…stable star Ben’s Cat won two of seven starts as a 9-year-old, the Jim McKay Turf Sprint and Mister Diz Stakes, the latter for the sixth straight year…He was also second in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup Stakes and Maryland Million Sprint Handicap…ranked 12^th in the local standings with 24 victories in 2014…Ben’s Cat won four stakes that year from eight starts including the Mister Diz, Jim McKay Turf Sprint, Parx Dash Handicap (G3) and Fabulous Strike Handicap…tied and passed fellow Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg for fourth on the all-time win list with a pair of victories at Laurel Park Jan. 18…became the third trainer in history to win 6,000 races when Cherokee Sunrise won at Timonium on August 23, 2003…has 52 Maryland training titles at Pimlico and Laurel Park on his resume…from 1981 to 1996 won or shared 24 of 28 meets at Laurel Park…from 1974 to 1997 won or shared 26 of 35 meets at Old Hilltop…in his heyday, Leatherbury was one of the “Big Four” of Maryland racing -- Leatherbury, Bud Delp, Dick Dutrow and John Tammaro--men who dominated the mid-Atlantic circuits during the 1970’s…in the mid 1970’s, the King had four consecutive 300-win campaigns and was the nation’s leading conditioner in 1977 and 1978…finished in the top three for six straight years (1975-1980)…has won five races in one day four times, six races in a day once…has saddled four Preakness starters: Indigo Star (fifth-1978), Thirty Eight Paces (fourth-1981) and I Am The Game (fourth-1985) and Malibu Moonshine (eighth-2005)…Catatonic won the Hempstead (G1) at Belmont Park in 1987...Ah Day won six stakes races in 2006, including the Tesio, finished in the money in three graded races the next year and won the Toboggan Stakes (G3) in 2009…conditioned Taking Risks to five stakes wins in 1994, including the Iselin Handicap (G1) at Monmouth, three graded races in Maryland (William Donald Schaefer, Baltimore Breeders’ Cup & Jennings Handicap) and the Maryland Million Classic…won the John B. Campbell Handicap (G3) with multiple stakes winner Ameri Valay in 1994 and won a pair of Laurel Turf Cups (G3) with Learned Jake (1991) & Dynamic Trick (2000)…Ben’s Cat won eight-of-nine races as a 4-year-old in 2010, including three turf stakes races at Laurel Park, captured the Maryland Million Turf Sprint three consecutive years (2010-2011-2012) and became the barn’s first millionaire with a victory Turf Monster Handicap (G3) at Parx Racing in 2012…first victory was with Mister L in 1959 at Sunshine Park…celebrated his 5,000th career victory on May 21, 1993.

PERSONAL: received a lifetime achievement award from the Maryland Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 and is a member of the Anne Arundel County Hall of Fame.