After prepping with a clear victory in the Parx Dash Handicap (gr. III) July 5, Ben's Cat will try to win the $350,000 Turf Monster Handicap (gr. III) for a third straight season Sept. 2 at Parx Racing.
A turf sprint specialist, The Jim Stable's Ben's Cat has added three more stakes victories this season in four starts to push his career stakes win total to 17 and his earnings to $1,597,000. Trained by King Leatherbury, Ben's Cat, by Parker's Storm Cat, also won this year's Jim McKay Turf Sprint Stakes and Mister Diz Stakes at Pimlico Race Course.
It's rare to have a stakes in which horses who have won multiple editions of the race again compete, but that's what the Turf Monster will offer as Chamberlain Bridge won the 2009 and 2010 editions of the Turf Monster. The 9-year-old War Chant gelding enters off a third-place finish in the Arlington Sprint Stakes July 6 at Arlington Park.
As usual, the $350,000 five-furlong turf sprint has attracted many of the top turf sprinters based in the East. The field of 12 includes Tightend Touchdown, who defeated Ben's Cat in this year's Pennsylvania Governor's Cup Handicap at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course; and Strong Impact, who enters off a third-place finish in the Troy Stakes at Saratoga Race Course after winning the Fiddlers Patriot Stakes there July 21.
$350,000 Turf Monster Handicap (gr. III, race 10, approximate post time 4:45 p.m. EDT) 3YO&Up, 5 Furlongs (Turf)
PP, Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. This Ain't No Bull (PA), TBA, 112, C. Reese
2. Strong Impact (NY), A. Solis, 120, B. Brown
3. Console (KY), B. Hernandez Jr., 114, W. Mott
4. Northern Hammer (KY), R. Rosado, 112, L. Calderon
5. El Seventyseven (PA), R. Santana Jr., 113, M. Robertson
6. Tightend Touchdown (FL), K. Carmouche, 120, J. Servis
7. Ben's Cat (MD), J. Pimentel, 122, K. Leatherbury
8. Stormofthecentury (FL), S. Elliott, 113, L. Ruberto Jr.
9. Varsity (KY), J. Bravo, 118, C. Clement
10. Chamberlain Bridge (KY), M. Mena, 118, W. Calhoun
11. A P Elvis (MD), J. Acosta, 116, D. Houghton
12. Wicked Tune (FL), E. Trujillo, 118, J. Cibelli