BEN'S CAT RETIRED

[RUFFIAN]

                 

AFTER 26 STAKES WINS, FAN FAVORITE BEN'S CAT RETIRED By Frank Angst

t @BH_FAngst

For King Leatherbury, Ben's Cat's final stakes win will always be the memory that's front
and center; the day the dark bay gelding seemingly did the impos- sible.

Leatherbury, the breeder, owner, and trainer of Maryland- bred Ben's Cat, decided this week that the 11-year-old gelding—a 26-time stakes winner—had given his all on the track. Racing Hall of Famer Leatherbury said the son of Parker's Storm Cat will be retired to the Kentucky farm of Chris Welker, a fan of the horse.

While Ben's Cat's racing days are over after he failed to place in his three starts this season, there will be plenty of memories for fans and Leatherbury, who immediately flashes to last year's Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
In that race Ben's Cat reached the quarter pole of the five- furlong test 6 1/2 lengths behind four-length leader Rocket Heat and three other rivals. Ben's Cat began to rally along the rail and at the sixteenth pole jockey Trevor McCarthy edged out the game 10-year-old, who then closed determinedly and surged between Spring to the Sky and Rocket Heat to claim victory by a neck.

"At no time in the race did he look like he was going to win," Leatherbury said.

***COMPLETE STORY ON BLOODHORSE***

[stark]

Best part of the story....

Ben's Cat will spend his retirement on the farm of Christina Welker in Versailles, Ky. Welker is married to Bayne Welker, the vice president of sales for Fasig-Tipton. Ben's Cat is scheduled to leave for his new home Wednesday evening.

"Mrs. Welker comes to the Preakness every year, and she always tells me that when he is ready to retire that she'd love to have him," Leatherbury said. "I called her last night and said, 'This is the call you've been waiting for.' "

Welker said she fell in love with Ben's Cat five years ago. She wrote Leatherbury a letter 2 1/2 years ago asking that he consider sending Ben's Cat to her farm when he retired. Welker said she is good friends with Hale, who helped make the arrangements.

[Catalina]

Excellent, excellent news!