LAUREL, MD. 11-14-13---Trainer Jamie Ness moved closer to 2,000 career victories after saddling Glass Art to victory in Friday’s eighth race at Laurel Park. The 5-year-old gelding broke the 1-1/16 mile turf record on the Dahlia lane, stopping the clock in 1:40.66, .19 faster than De Chera ran three years ago.

Ness is now two wins shy of the milestone. He is scheduled to run three horses at Laurel Park Saturday afternoon, including Guam Typhoon in the Dave’s Friend Stakes.

The 39-year-old currently ranks second in the Laurel fall standings with 18 victories, two fewer than Hugh McMahon.

Last year, he led all North American conditioners with 395 victories, including 83 at Laurel and Pimlico.

BEN’S CAT LIKELY OUT OF DAVE’S FRIEND STAKES

Owner/trainer King Leatherbury told Maryland Jockey Club officials Friday afternoon that he is “leaning not to run” Ben’s Cat in Saturday’s Dave Friend Stakes at Laurel Park. The 7-year-old was made the 5-2 morning line favorite in the 6-furlong test on the main track.

One of the top turf sprinters in the country, Ben’s Cat has won 23-of-36 starts, including 18 stakes victories, for earnings of $1,720,640. The son of Parker’s Storm Cat is 8-of-12 on the dirt.

Leatherbury indicated he would likely run his star in either the $250,000 Fabulous Strike at Penn National on Nov. 27 or the $300,000 Fall Highweight Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct on Nov. 28.

“I haven’t officially scratched but probably will,” Leatherbury said.

The Dave’s Friend (race 7) is one of four $100,000 stakes races on the nine-race card, joining the Jennings Handicap (race 4), the Smart Halo Stakes (race 6) and the James Lewis Stakes (race 8).

Prior to the fifth race, the Maryland Jockey Club will honor recently retired Dance to Bristol with a  winners’ circle ceremony. Conditioned by Ollie Figgins III at the Bowie Training Center, Dance to Bristol finished her career with 10 wins and eight second place finishes in 20 starts for earnings of $980,880. The daughter of Speightstown and jockey Xavier Perez reeled off seven straight victories this year, including a win in the Skipat Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Preakness weekend and three graded races in New York: Bed Of Roses (G3), Honorable Miss (G2) and Ballerina (G1). She will be headed to Mill Ridge Farm in Kentucky on Monday to start a new livelihood as a broodmare.

About Laurel Park

Laurel Park is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.