Ben's Cat Aims for Fourth Parx Dash Victory

Ben's Cat will aim to add to his remarkable career achievements when the King Leatherbury homebred attempts to win the Parx Dash Handicap (gr. IIIT) for a fourth straight year Saturday, July 11 at Parx Racing.

Ben's Cat won last year's edition of the Parx Dash by a nose over Tightend Touchdown, after defeating that same rival in the 2013 edition of the five-furlong turf sprint by 1 1/4 lengths. Mr. Amore Stable's Tightend Touchdown will give it another try this year and is 8-1 on the morning line.

Ben's Cat, the 5-2 morning-line favorite, won his first Parx Dash in 2012, defeating Bridgetown by two lengths, and, in fact, would be going for his fifth straight Parx Dash score if not for a head loss to El Churruca in the 2011 race.

As for this year, Ben's Cat will try to avenge his recent loss to Silver Trail Stables' Amelia's Wild Ride after finishing second by a nose to the 4-year-old D'wildcat   colt in the Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Stakes May 30 at Penn National Race Course. In Saturday's expected field of 11, Amelia's Wild Ride will start from post 10 and Ben's Cat from post 2.

In his past five starts, Ben's Cat is on a pattern of finishing second, and then winning, which could be good news for his fans and connections if the pattern continues off his most recent runner-up finish.

Ben's Cat will be going for his sixth Parx stakes win and fifth graded stakes win there, where he also has won two editions of the Turf Monster Handicap (gr. III). The 9-year-old Parker's Storm Cat gelding also will be going for the 25th stakes victory of his career Saturday.

Silver Trail Stable's Amelia's Wild Ride will try for his third stakes win this season, after opening the year with a victory in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes.

The field also includes Power Alert, who set a course record for five furlongs in :55.17 in winning the Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes (gr. IIIT) two starts ago at Churchill Downs and enters off a fourth in the six-furlong Jaipur Invitational Stakes (gr. IIIT) June 6 at Belmont Park.