Will it be Maryland Million Turf, or Sprint, for Ben's Cat?
Trainer King Leatherbury has a decision to make with Ben's Cat on the Maryland Million Day card, which will be held for the 31st time on Saturday at Laurel Park.
Leatherbury must choose between the $125,000 Turf, which will be run at a mile, and the $100,000 Sprint, a six-furlong race. Unfortunately, neither spot is ideal for Ben's Cat, who will be running in a Maryland Million Day race for the seventh straight year.
Ben's Cat, 10, won the Maryland Million Turf Sprint three straight years (2010-2012) before it was discontinued. He ran in the Turf in 2013 and 2014, but was beaten a neck the first time and a half-length the second. Last year, Ben's Cat switched to the main track, but lost a nose photo finish in the Sprint.
"We're going to try to find out how those races come up and then we have to choose between them," Leatherbury said. "In the past, the turf race has come up much weaker than the Sprint. However, he doesn't want to go a mile. In the Sprint he doesn't win, either, because it comes up extremely tough even though it's restricted."
Ben's Cat has won 32 of 59 career starts and more than $2.6 million for Leatherbury, who owns, bred, and trains him. Ben's Cat will try to break the first four-race losing streak of his career Saturday. He is 2 for 6 this season and has earned $147,000.
There will be seven stakes and two starter handicaps on the 11-race Maryland Million card. Total purses for the nine Maryland Million races will be $900,000. Maryland Million Day is the highlight of the Laurel fall season, and a large ontrack turnout can be expected.
There are five horses nominated to the Maryland Million who won a stakes on the card last year. Monster Sleeping, a 7-year-old mare, won the Ladies, a 1 1/18-mile turf race, in 2015 and 2013. The others are Admiral's War Chest, who won the Classic last year; Phlash Phelps, who won the Turf; Corvus, who won the Nursery; and Lexington Street, who won the Lassie. A number of horses are cross-nominated to more than one Maryland Million Day race.
Entries for the Saturday card will be taken on Wednesday.
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