Скачать или смотреть Ben's Cats Wins Another Maryland Million

On a beautiful fall afternoon, King Leatherbury's Ben's Cat became the fourth horse to win a Maryland Million race three consecutive years with a victory in the $100,000 Maryland Million Turf Sprint on Saturday at Laurel Park. The 27th Annual Jim McKay Maryland Million drew a crowd of 18,420. The Maryland Million is the most important racing day at Laurel Park with 11 races for runners sired by Maryland-based stallions for combined purses totaling $1.05 million. Introduced in 1986, the Maryland Million has been duplicated by more than 20 other states. Hall of Fame TV Broadcaster Jim McKay originally proposed the Maryland Million concept and remained the Chairman of the Board until his death on June 7, 2008. Confidently ridden by Julian Pimentel, the son of Parker's Storm Cat, Ben's Cat carried 128 pounds to victory in the 5-1/2 furlong test on the firm turf, beating 10-year-old Heros Reward by ¾'s of a length. Ben's Cat completed the distance in 1:01.64 and paid $2.80 as the overwhelming favorite. Ben's Cat became King Leatherbury's first millionaire with a victory in the Turf Monster Handicap (G3) at Parx Racing in his previous start. He has won 18-of-27 starts with earnings of $1,216,090. "He's now showing a little more speed early on, which he wasn't before," said Leatherbury, who ranks third on the all-time win list with 6,350 career victories. "We don't want him to flash that early speed. He is doing that on his own." Bred, owned and trained by Leatherbury, Ben's Cat has been victorious in 11 of 16 on the turf and has 13 stakes scores. Now six, he had to recover from a broken pelvis before he made his maiden debut at age four in 2010, then began his career with eight consecutive victories, which included a 4 ½ length score in the Turf Sprint. He won last year's Turf Sprint by a length. Heros Reward, a multiple graded stakes winner for Dale Capuano, improved his career earnings to $1,272,898. The win moved Leatherbury ahead of Capuano for the top spot in the Maryland Million trainer standings with 10. The other runners to complete the three-peat in are Hall of Famer Safely Kept (Distaff, '89-91), Countus In (Ladies, '89-91) and Mz. Zill Bear (Ladies, '93-95). Video shot and produced by WBAL's Scott Wykoff (October 6, 2012)