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Leatherbury needing backer to get Ben's Cat to Breeders' Cup

Legendary conditioner King Leatherbury is seeking a partner to go in on his Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint contender Ben's Cat (Maryland Jockey Club) On Labor Day, Laurel Park-based Ben's Cat (Parker's Storm Cat) captured the $356,000 Turf Monster H. (G3) at Parx Racing, which earned the King Leatherbury homebred an automatic berth in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G2) at Churchill Downs on November 5 as part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge "Win and You're In" series. But the five-year-old is not Breeders' Cup nominated so Leatherbury is looking for an investor to flip the bill on the $100,000 supplemental fee. "I have one guy from California interested," Leatherbury said Thursday. "He would get his $100,000 back if we finished in the top three. We would split whatever is left over. If the horse wins or finishes second everyone is happy. It would be a tremendous human interest story with us having to buy our way into the race." A victory in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint returns $600,000 with second place worth $200,000. The third place finisher collects $110,000. Bred, owned and trained by Leatherbury, Ben's Cat has won 12 of 17 starts, including seven stakes. The gelding had to recover from a broken pelvis before he made his maiden debut at age four, then began his career with eight consecutive victories.

"He has been a tremendous surprise," Leatherbury added. "I ran him for $20,000 in his first start but he kept winning and winning and worked his way up the ladder. The last race was his best effort. He is peaking at the right time."

Ben's Cat has won three of four on the turf this year: the Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Pimlico on Preakness weekend, the Pennsylvania Governor's Cup at Penn National and the Turf Monster, where he defeated among others defending Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint winner Chamberlain Bridge (War Chant).

"I have been fortunate to ride a few good horses and I feel like he is better than an average horse," said regular rider Jeremy Rose, who won the 2005 Preakness S. (G1) and Belmont S. (G1) aboard Afleet Alex. "He fits well in this race. I have plenty of confidence in him."

Leatherbury has 6,325 career victories to stand third lifetime among all trainers behind Dale Baird and Jack Van Berg. In his heyday, Leatherbury was one of the "Big Four" of Maryland racing, along with Hall of Famer Buddy Delp, Dick Dutrow and John Tammaro. He had four consecutive 300-win campaigns in the mid 1970s and was the nation's leading conditioner in 1977 and 1978.

A victory on one of horse racing's biggest days would boost the Hall of Fame credentials for the 78-year-old.

"It would be a feather in our cap," Leatherbury said. "Some of the trainers in the Hall of Fame had just one big horse. Buddy Delp had Spectacular Bid and Sonny Hine had Skip Away."

"King Leatherbury is the eighth wonder of the universe for what he has accomplished," said Maryland Racing Commission steward John Burke, a former New England-based conditioner. "He should absolutely be in the Hall of Fame. It is a travesty that he is not."

If Leatherbury cannot find a Breeders' Cup backer he will point Ben's Cat to the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint at Laurel on October 1, a race he won a year ago.

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