Ben's Cat Maryland-Bred HOY for Fourth Year

King T. Leatherbury's evergreen Ben's Cat has been named Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, for an unprecedented fourth time, in the annual poll conducted by the Maryland Horse Breeders Association.

 

The son of Parker's Storm Cat also earned divisional titles for older male, sprinter, and turf runner.

 

Bred, owned, and trained by Leatherbury, Ben's Cat is the most decorated state-bred the history of the awards, with a total of 13 divisional titles, in addition to those for Horse of the Year. He has been named outstanding turf runner five straight years, older male since 2011, and top sprinter four of the past five years. Last year at age 8, Ben's Cat competed exclusively in stakes, winning four times in eight starts, with two seconds and a third. He ranked as the leading Maryland-bred by earnings in 2014 with $458,350.

 

Ben's Cat's campaign was a near duplication of those of previous years. After starting with a fifth consecutive win in the Mister Diz Stakes for state-breds last spring, he followed with his third lifetime score in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint, which came off the turf at Pimlico Race Course during Preakness (gr. I) weekend. Other victories included three-peats in the Parx Dash Handicap (gr. IIIT) and Fabulous Strike Handicap at Penn National Race Course. He was second by a neck, while giving the winner eight pounds, in the Turf Monster Handicap (gr. IIT) at Parx Racing, and when stretching out to a mile, was second again in the Maryland Million Turf. His stakes-placings also included a third in the Laurel Dash. 

 

Produced by Leatherbury's homebred mare Twofox, by Thirty Eight Paces, Ben's Cat has won 28 of 45 starts, with 10 seconds or thirds, since making his debut in May of his 4-year-old season. With $2,320,990 in career earnings, he ranks sixth all-time among Maryland-bred runners.

 

Other divisional honorees:

 

Champion 2-year-old male: Ghost Bay (Ghostzapper  —Hope Bay, by Smart Strike  ). Bred and owned by Howard Bender; trained by Lawrence Murray.

 

Champion 2-year-old filly: Miss Bullistic (Bullsbay  —Miss Lombardi, by Unbridled Jet). Bred by Graham Motion; owned by Kathleen Willier; trained by Hamilton Smith.

 

Champion 3-year-old male: The Big Beast (Yes It's True  —V V S Flawless, by Deputy Minister). Bred by Green Willow Farms; owned by Alex and JoAnn Lieblong; trained by Anthony Dutrow.

 

Champion 3-year-old filly: Daring Dancer (Empire Maker—Vienna Affair, byRed Ransom). Bred and owned by Sagamore Farm; trained by Graham Motion.

 

Champion older female: Awesome Flower (Flower Alley—Formalities Aside, by Awesome Again  ). Bred by Dr. and Mrs. Thomas Bowman, Milton Higgins III, and Three Chimneys Farm; owned by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey; trained by Michael Maker.

 

Champion steeplechaser: Top Striker (Van Nistelrooy—Two's Cozy, by Cozzene). Bred by Sycamore Hall Farm; owned by Mrs. George Sensor; trained by Archibald Kingsley Jr.