Leatherbury Will Keep Pressing on With 'Ben'

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Though 11-year-old Ben Cat's (Parker's Storm Cat) has failed to finish in the money in his two starts so far this year, owner, trainer and breeder King T. Leatherbury said that he will continue to race the horse.

In his last outing Friday, Ben's Cat was eighth in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico, a race he had won in each of the last four years and five times overall.

“It was a wet track,” Leatherbury said of the McKay course conditions, which were listed as firm despite a considerable amount of rain hitting Baltimore in the hours in and around the race. “He was slipping, so we're giving him another excuse. He came out of it fine and he was only beaten four lengths. We're going on with him. I think we can still get a piece of the purses, especially if we get the right trip.”

Ben's Cat has lost seven straight, with his last win coming in the 2016 McKay.

Leatherbury said he has not picked out a race for Ben's Cat's next start, but said it's unlikely he will head to Penn National for the June 3 Pennsylvania Governor's Cup.

“I'll probably just see what we have here for him in Maryland,” he said.

When asked at what point Leatherbury would retire Ben's Cat, he replied: “When he's not picking up any checks.”

The trainer said he has already found a post-race home for Ben's Cat in Kentucky, a farm that reached out to him and asked if they could have the horse when he's done racing.

“They're going to let him live the rest of his life in luxury,” Leatherbury said.

Ben's Cat has made 62 career starts and has won 32 races with earnings of $2,643,782. He has 26 stakes wins to his credit.

 

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