Leading Maryland thoroughbred Ben's Cat returns to the races Friday at Pimlico Race Course.
The 9-year-old gelding, bred, owned and trained by Hall of Fame finalist King Leatherbury, will begin his season in a $55,000 allowance race versus eight challengers with his regular rider Julien Pimentel, leaving from post 5 going five furlongs on the grass.
"He's such a popular horse. Everybody knows him," said Leatherbury. "Everybody asks me about him everywhere I go. 'Is Ben's Cat coming back?' 'When is Ben's Cat coming back?' So, here he is and we'll see what this race looks like. I'm looking forward to getting him going again."
Ben's Cat has won 28 of 45 lifetime starts, 23 of them stakes, for $2,320,990. He was named 2014 Maryland-bred Horse of the Year for a record fourth time and was named champion older male, sprinter and turf horse. The 9-year-old has earned 13 state-bred divisional championships in addition to Horse of the Year.
"They said they were going to have an allowance race for him," Leatherbury said, "and, sure enough, it filled. I don't know if we'll have turf or not because of the rain, but it won't matter to him."
Ben's Cat last raced on Nov. 29 when he won Penn National's Fabulous Strike Stakes at six furlongs on the main track. Last year he also won the Parx Dash Handicap, Turf Sprint and Mister Diz Stakes at Pimlico.
[SportsNetwork.com]
