Ben’s Cat worked a bullet five furlongs in 1:01.20 at Laurel Park on Friday as he nears his 10-year-old debut. Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury, who owns and trains him, is pointing Ben’s Cat to the $100,000 Jim McKay Turf Sprint at Laurel on Black-Eyed Susan Day, May 20, but would first like to find a prep race for him.

His Friday work was the fastest of seven at the distance. Ben’s Cat also worked a bullet five furlongs in the slop April 7. Ben’s Cat has had six works since March 22.

Ben’s Cat is a winner of 30 of 53 starts and just under $2.5 million.

Lady Sabelia, one of the most popular stakes runners in Maryland, was injured during a Sunday morning gallop at Laurel Park and has been retired, according to trainer Robin Graham.

“It’s disappointing, but the good thing is she’s doing fine,” Graham said.

Lady Sabelia’s exercise rider heard a noise while galloping her Sunday, Graham said, and thought she had stepped on a stone. The rider pulled Lady Sabelia up and walked her back to the barn.

Songbird, the undefeated champion, continues to progress from a fever that will keep her out of the $1 million Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 6, but has yet to return to racetrack training.

Trainer Jerry Hollendorfer said on Sunday that Songbird walked earlier in the day at his stable at Santa Anita.

“We’re monitoring her every day,” Hollendorfer said. “She hasn’t had a temperature in six days.”

CYPRESS, Calif. - Smokey Image, the champion California-bred 2-year-old male of 2015, and Uncle Lino, third in the Santa Anita Derby on April 9, are two of the 13 nominees for Saturday’s $150,000 California Chrome Stakes for 3-year-olds at Los Alamitos.

Swipe, the runner-up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November but sixth in the Grade 2 Lexington Stakes in his first start of 2016 on April 16, is out of training following a breathing operation.

Trainer Keith Desormeaux said he expects Swipe to resume training in late May.

“We’ll give him 30 days and he’ll be back,” Desormeaux said.

Melatonin’s last two starts are proving to trainer David Hofmans that the 5-year-old gelding can play a prominent role in the older horse division this year.

Melatonin won the $1 million Santa Anita Handicap on March 12 and was a game second by a length to Effinex in the $750,000 Oaklawn Handicap in Arkansas on April 16.

“I think he might be all right,” Hofmans said.

CYPRESS, Calif. - Finest City, the upset winner of Saturday’s $200,690 Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos, represents the entire Ian Kruljac stable.

“My other horse got claimed,” Kruljac said on Sunday morning.

This does not mean that the 27-year-old Kruljac has idle time. He primarily assists his father, Eric, who has a stable with divisions at Santa Anita and Turf Paradise.

“It’s a family business,” Ian Kruljac said.

Keeneland
Weather: Cloudy
Track: Fast
Temp: 58

LEXINGTON, Ky. – With the skies clear and the track fast, Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist went back to work Saturday at Keeneland, turning in a fairly easy five-furlong breeze that had been postponed from the previous morning due to rain.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Kentucky Derby hopefuls Exaggerator and Danzing Candy worked in Southern California on Saturday, two weeks after finishing first and fourth in the $1,000,690 Santa Anita Derby on April 9.

Exaggerator worked five furlongs in 1:00 at Santa Anita, while Danzing Candy worked six furlongs in 1:12 at the San Luis Rey Downs Training Center in San Diego County.

A trio of possible starters for the Kentucky Oaks worked Saturday morning at Keeneland, preparing for a race that is suddenly wide open with the defection of unbeaten champion Songbird earlier this week.

Fair Grounds Oaks winner Land Over Sea, among those now likely to vie for favoritism, worked five furlongs in 1:02.14 on Daily Racing Form clocker Mike Welsch’s watch, going late in the morning over a chewed-up track. The filly was pumped up as she tugged exercise rider Jonny Garcia through the early going.