Ben's Cat Seeks Fourth McKay Win

The Jim Stable's Maryland-bred stalwart Ben's Cat goes for a fourth Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes victory May 15 at Pimlico Race Course.

 

The five-furlong race is one on three $100,000 stakes among seven stakes on the 14-race Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (gr. II) undercard that includes the Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf and Skipat Stakes for filly and mare sprinters on the main track.

 

Ben's Cat, a 9-year-old son of Parker's Storm Cat, is a three-time winner of the McKay, having captured his first in 2011. He owns 23 stakes victories from 28 wins in 46 lifetime starts, four of them in grade III company, for purses of more than $2.3 million.

 

"He has been an absolutely remarkable horse. I can't wait for the race," Leatherbury, 82, said. "We're very much looking forward to it. It's a big day with national interest in that day, so it's extra special. We're going to go over there and hopefully knock it off."

 

Ben's Cat capped his 8-year-old season winning the Fabulous Strike Handicap Nov. 29 at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, but was upset as the favorite in a five-furlong turf allowance April 17 at Pimlico in his 2015 bow. Two of the four horses he faced that day, winner Bold Thunder and Grateful Nation, who was just a neck back in third, return in the McKay.

 

"It was a situation last time where you had one lone speed in the race and we had to go after him," Leatherbury said. "We had to make our early run which is not his style, and he just wasn't as sharp as he's been for whatever reason. I expect him to be right on Friday."

 

Andrew Sulley's Bold Thunder is a multiple stakes winner, taking the Turf Dash Jan. 10 at Tampa Bay Downs and the 2014 Silks Run at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old son of Bold n' Flashy finished behind Ben's Cat in the Parx Dash (gr. IIIT) and Turf Monster (gr. IIIT) last summer, but ran second a neck ahead of Ben's Cat in the Laurel Dash in September.

 

Previously trained by the late Dickie Small, Grateful Nation was also making his season's debut in the Pimlico allowance race in April. Now with Dylan Smith, he was a solid fifth in the Laurel Dash and sixth in the John McSorley Stakes, beaten 3 1/2 lengths in both, in his recent stakes attempts.

 

Each exiting graded-stakes competition, Miss Temple City and Lady Zuzu will get some class relief in the Hilltop.

 

Based with trainer Graham Motion at the Fair Hill Training Center, Miss Temple City won both her starts at 2 and lost her only two tries this year by a combined 3 1/2 lengths. She was third by a length to Consumer Credit and subsequent grade III winner Quality Rocks in the Sweetest Chant (gr. IIIT) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream Park, and second to 2014 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) winner Lady Eli in the Appalachian Stakes (gr. IT) April 12 at Keeneland.

 

Three Chimneys Farm's Lady Zuzu exits a third-place finish behind Feathered and Quality Rocks in the Edgewood (gr. IIIT) May 1 at Churchill Downs. Her lone win came in a one-mile maiden special weight on turf last fall at Keeneland for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

 

Mrs. Frank P.Wright's Lady Sabelia, who had a four-race win streak snapped after setting the pace in the Madison Stakes (gr. I) last time out, looks to return to the winner's circle in the Skipat.

 

Trained by Robin Graham, the 5-year-old Majestic Warrior   mare strung together four consecutive wins from October to February, capped by a 1 1/2-length score in the Barbara Fritchie (gr. II) Feb. 14 at Laurel Park. She cuts back to six furlongs in the Skipat, owning five wins from nine lifetime starts at the distance.

 

Both Lady Sabelia and Triple R Stable's Galiana have won their lone starts at Pimlico. While Lady Sabelia's victory came in an allowance race last spring, Galiana was a 2 3/4-length winner of the six-furlong Primonetta April 18. Like Lady Sabelia, the 5-year-old daughter of Stonesider   is also proven at the distance with eight of her 12 career wins coming in a dozen tries at six furlongs.

 

Richard Golden's Who's in Town, trained by Michael Matz, is entered to make her 4-year-old debut after capping 2014 with back-to-back victories. Winner of the Adirondack Stakes (gr. II) last summer at Saratoga Race Course, she hasn't raced since taking the Safely Kept Nov. 15 at Laurel by three-quarters of a length.