Ben’s Cat Returns a Winner in 10-Year-Old Debut
Ben’s Cat Returns a Winner in 10-Year-Old Debut
Maryland-Bred Adds to Legend with 31st Career Victory
LAUREL, MD – Multi-millionaire Maryland-bred Ben’s Cat began another chapter in his illustrious racing career with a determined rally on the far outside to open his 10-year-old season with a narrow victory Sunday at Laurel Park.
Ridden for the first time by meet-leading jockey Trevor McCarthy, Ben’s Cat came charging down the middle of the track to reel in pacesetting long shot Rapid Dan in deep stretch and edge clear by a neck in 1:03.21 for 5 ½ furlongs on a Fort Marcy Turf Course rated good.
Bred, owned and trained by Hall of Fame horseman King Leatherbury, Ben’s Cat won for the 31st time in 54 lifetime starts, his 20th victory on grass and eighth over the Laurel turf. Twenty-five of his wins have come in stakes, four in Grade 3 company.
Second choice in a field of eight at 2-1, behind the favored even-money entry of Aztec Brave and El Botas, Ben’s Cat also moved over $2.5 million in career purse earnings, closing the gap on Broad Brush, the all-time leading Maryland-bred earner at $2,656,793 from 1985-87.
“He ran a super race. I was afraid of that entry shipping in here,” Leatherbury said. “It was a little hard for him to get rolling because of where he was. Once he got himself together and fired down the stretch he looked like his old self.”
Breaking from the far outside post, Ben’s Cat was kept in the clear racing four wide down the backstretch as Rapid Dan ran the opening quarter-mile of the $52,000 no-condition allowance for 3-year-olds and up in 22.96 seconds and went a half in 45.78.
“I was tickled with where he was early but on the turn he wasn’t getting anywhere. It was like he wasn’t getting himself together, but then he got himself together and of course he fired down the lane like a big shot,” Leatherbury said. “As a 10-year-old, he’s never been better.”
McCarthy called on Ben’s Cat as the group straightened for home and they closed with a steady rush on the far outside to nab the stubborn front-runner, who stayed up for second over Night Officer. Rockinn On Bye closed late to pass Aztec Brave for fourth.
Named to replace regular rider Julian Pimentel, who had been aboard Ben’s Cat in 41 of his first 53 starts including 30 in a row dating back to June 2012, McCarthy joined Pimentel, Horacio Karamanos, Jeremy Rose and Rosemary Homeister as jockeys to win atop the Parker’s Storm Cat gelding.
“He ran a really good race today. He broke well for me, a little sharper than I thought he would. I thought it would be slower on the soft turf,” McCarthy said. “I really didn’t have to do much. He did all the work; I just kept him out of trouble. I gave him something to run at and when I called upon him he was ready to go. I just guided him around there. Thank you to King and everybody involved. They’ve all done a great job and really made me look good today.”
Leatherbury said the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint May 20 at Pimlico Race Course, on the undercard of the $250,000 Black-Eyed Susan (G2), would be the next target for Ben’s Cat. Ben’s Cat has won the McKay three straight years and four of the last five.
