Admirals War Chest Targets Maryland Riches

Last fall, Admirals War Chest lost five consecutive races before turning an out-of-town Maryland Million prep victory into his front-running score in the day’s richest race.

Looking for a repeat performance, the Sinatra Thoroughbred Racing & Breeding homebred is following a similar pattern heading into this year’s $150,000 Maryland Million Classic, which highlights the 31st annual Jim McKay Maryland Million Day program Oct. 22 at Laurel Park.

Run at 1 1/8 miles over the main track, the Classic for 3-year-olds and older sired by eligible Maryland stallions is one of 11 races that comprise 'Maryland's Day at the Races,' first run in 1986 as the brainchild of late sports broadcaster Jim McKay. The Classic is one of nine stakes (including two starter stakes) on the day.

A gelded 5-year-old bay son of Elusive Charlie, Admirals War Chest is attempting to become the fifth back-to-back winner of the Classic, following Timely Warning (1990-91), Algar (1997-98), Docent (2002-03) and Eighttofasttocatch (2013-14), who also won in 2011.

Based at Dr. Stephen Sinatra’s Berkley Farm in Darlington, Md., Admirals War Chest heads into the Classic off a gate-to-wire victory in a second-level, optional-claiming allowance race Sept. 1 over a sloppy, sealed track at Delaware Park. It was his first victory since last year’s Classic, his only previous try from 18 starts at the nine-furlong distance.

“He came out of the last one real good and he’s been training real good,” said trainer Corby Caiazzo. “It’s always good to go into a big race after having a nice win like that. It put him mentally in a better place.”

Admirals War Chest went winless in five tries, including a runner-up finish as the favorite behind Noteworthy Peach in the Jennings Handicap last December at Laurel, before his most recent triumph. His three losses this year came by a combined 33 1/2 lengths.

“We expected things to go a little different this year, but we’re headed in the right direction and focused on a fall campaign," said trainer  Corby Caiazzo. "There’s some nice races coming up for him. Everything’s going good now, so we’re just going to let the past be the past and focus on the weekend, and see if we can go on from there. I just have to see what happens and how the race unfolds for him. He’s the kind of horse where, if things don’t go his way, sometimes you can’t overcome those things.”

His past three wins have seen Admirals War Chest go all the way on the front end and Caiazzo isn’t expecting a radical change in tactics in the Classic. Regular rider Taylor Hole, who also works the horse, will be aboard from post 4.

“Lately he’s been liking to go to the lead. The race last year kind of set up for his speed. He tends to hold that speed pretty far, but with the Maryland Million, the last eighth will be the tell-tale story, if he can hold it going in there. It all depends on how pressured he gets going into that first turn,” Caiazzo said. “We’ve been doing some things to try and help him hold the speed that long. Taylor said to me the other morning he’s starting to be more relaxed going to the post and in the gate. Hopefully, we’ve worked some things out that will help him do a little better.”

Overall, Admirals War Chest has two wins, two seconds, and five thirds from 11 career tries at Laurel. The Classic was his first stakes win and the first for Caiazzo, a 43-year-old Howard County, Md., native.

“I’m bringing a sound, healthy horse there. He’s showed us he deserves a chance to run again, so we’ll just see what happens,” the trainer said. “I’m happy with how he’s training. He’s doing good, he looks good, and he put on weight from when he ran last year. He looks awesome. The whole team here has been working hard on him and everybody’s real happy going into the weekend.”

While the Classic is the biggest race of the day, the day’s biggest star is Ben's Cat, who makes his return in the $100,000 Sprint. Bred, owned, and trained by Hall of Fame horseman King Leatherbury, Ben’s Cat is already a three-time Million winner, having captured the Turf Sprint from 2010-12. A fourth victory would break his tie with Countus In, Docent, Eighttofasttocatch, Mz. Zill Bear, and Safely Kept for most Million wins.

At the age of 10, Ben’s Cat can match La Reine's Terms (2005 Turf) as the oldest winner of a Million race. His seventh start will equal In the Curl (1986-92) for the most in event history, and he can move the 83-year-old Leatherbury into a tie for most Million wins as both a trainer and breeder.

“This horse has brought tears to my eyes many times,” Leatherbury said. “Maryland Million is just a special day. I remember the first year we ever had it, Jim McKay asked me, ‘Is this more important than a normal stake you win?’ and I said, ‘Absolutely. It’s our race. It’s Maryland’s race.’”

Though proud of the numbers, Leatherbury is more concerned with the ones that Ben’s Cat has run this year. After opening the season with back-to-back wins, including his fourth straight in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on the eve of the Preakness Stakes (gr. I), he has lost four straight starts for the first time in a 59-race career that includes 32 wins—26 in stakes—and $2.6 million in purse earnings.

Ben’s Cat finished third in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Cup, Parx Dash (gr. IIIT), and the restricted Mister Diz Aug. 20 before running fifth in the Laurel Dash, a race where he was within striking range of the leaders at the top of the stretch but failed to fire.

“The big problem I have is he’s not coming back to the good numbers that he ran last year. He has yet to run one of his good numbers this year,” Leatherbury said. “Now, can he come to life? If I’ve got somebody else’s horse and I’m handicapping the race, I’d say no. He’s not running the same kind of numbers, but I’ve been wrong many times when I handicap. I’ve crossed horses off and here they come winning.

“So, you never know. It’s horse racing. All I can do is try to get a horse there that’s fit and sound and healthy. We’ll see what happens. I hope he can, but he hasn’t done it so far this year.”

In his other three Maryland Million starts, Ben’s Cat finished second in the one-mile Turf in 2013 and 2014, and last year’s Sprint. His three Million losses have been by less than a length combined.

In other Maryland Million races:

• Hillwood Stables’ Phlash Phelps, last year’s Maryland Million Turf winner and Maryland’s champion turf horse, will try to turn around a difficult season. Trainer Rodney Jenkins will send out the 5-year-old gelding, who was bred by Carol Kaye, to defend his title in Saturday’s $125,000 Turf. Phlash Phelps can become the fourth horse to win the one-mile Turf in back-to-back years, following Winsox (1997-98), Pocket Patch (2010-11) andRoadhog (2012-13), and the fifth multiple winner. La Reine’s Terms won the Turf in 2002 and 2005.
• Kathleen Willer’s Greatbullsoffire, bred by Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds, will try for his second stakes win when the son of Bullsbay   starts in the Nursery Stakes for juveniles going six furlongs.
• The Elkstone Group homebred Diamond Dollar, by Not For Love, who won a stakes on the all-weather surface at Presque Isle Downs this season, will start on dirt for the first time in the Maryland Million Lassie Stakes for juvenile fillies going six furlongs.
• In the Ladies Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on the turf, the consistent Pauline's Pride will try for her second victory this season. A homebred for the estate of Gretchen Mobberley, Pauline’s Pride, by Dance With Ravens, has placed in three straight races on the Laurel turf.
• Samuel Rogers Jr. Trust homebred Lovable Lady will try for her fourth straight win as the 121-pound highweight in the Distaff Handicap, for fillies and mares going seven furlongs. Lovable Lady is a 5-year-old Not For Love mare.