Ben’s Cat in Turf Monster for fifth straight year
The Grade 3 Turf Monster Handicap at Parx Racing on Monday has drawn the salty kind of group expected in Mid-Atlantic turf-sprint stakes. Ben’s Cat will run in the Turf Monster for the fifth straight year. He won the race in 2011 and 2012 and was second, beaten a neck, last year and third, beaten three-quarters of a length, in 2013.
Tightend Touchdown finished third in this race a year ago and second in 2013. He upset the Parx Dash at 12-1 in his most recent start July 11.
Mongolian Saturday and Amelia’s Wild Ride, the second- and fifth-place finishers in the Parx Dash, also are major players here, as is Woodbine shipper Sharp Sensation, who won the five-furlong Turf Monster a year ago by a neck over Ben’s Cat.
The $300,000 Turf Monster is one of three stakes on Parx’s Monday card as the track’s eight-week fall festival continues. The $200,000 Turf Amazon, for fillies and mares at five furlongs, is race 7. The Grade 3, $200,000 Greenwood Cup at 1 1/2 miles is race 8, and the Turf Monster completes the trifecta.
As odd as it sounds, Ben’s Cat, a winner of 30 of 50 starts and more than $2.4 million for Hall of Famer King Leatherbury, will have to prove he still has what it takes in the Turf Monster. He finished sixth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths, in the Parx Dash, and while it wasn’t an awful performance, it was less than expected.
Ben’s Cat, 9, has since won the Mister Diz Stakes over Maryland-breds for the sixth year in a row, but he had to work for it. The horse he beat by a half-length, Night Officer, would be up against it in the Turf Monster.
Julian Pimentel will ride Ben’s Cat for the 28th straight time and the 39th time overall.
With Mongolian Saturday, Officer Griffin, and Pure Sensation – not to be confused with Sharp Sensation – entered, a blazing pace is practically assured.
Turf Monster Handicap, race 9
Key contenders
Ben’s Cat (Last 3 Beyers: 91-90-100)
◗ His Beyer Speed Figures are down in his last two races. Is a changing of the guard on the horizon?
Tightend Touchdown (Last 3 Beyers: 98-83-83)
◗ Just when it looked like this 6-year-old’s best days might be behind him, he jumped up and won the Parx Dash for trainer Jason Servis. He raced on a slowish pace, however, and the half-mile split Monday should be well below the 45.34 seconds of the Dash.
Amelia’s Wild Ride (Last 3 Beyers: 94-91-100)
◗ Comes off a close third-place finish to Shore Runner in the Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga for Ramon Preciado. Shore Runner has since come back to win the Troy Stakes up north.
◗ Jose Lezcano will be in from New York to ride.
Sharp Sensation (Last 3 Beyers: 96-86-94)
◗ Last year’s Turf Monster winner will be making the third start of his campaign for Reade Baker. He was beaten a nose by Shore Runner in the Lucky Coin last out.
Pure Sensation (Last 3 Beyers: 95-82-91)
◗ Earned a career-best Beyer while tuning up for this in a second-level turf sprint at Saratoga in his lone start of the year. He’s fast and could be better at 4 than he was last year at 3.