Ben's Cat takes Jim McKay Turf Sprint for a second time

Also the winner of the 2011 Jim McKay Turf Sprint, Ben's Cat's previous

stakes wins include the past two renewals of the Grade 3 Turf Monster Handicap,

the last three editions of the Maryland Million Turf Sprint, and the last four

runnings of the Mister Diz for state-breds. His other black type victories

include the Pennsylvania Governor's Cup, the Parx Dash, the Laurel Dash and the

Find Handicap. His record now stands at 31-21-3-1, $1,462,290.

Bred, owned and trained by Leatherbury, Ben's Cat is a son of Parker's Storm

Cat out of the stakes-placed Thirty Eight Paces mare Twofox, who is a fill

sister to Grade 2 queen Thirty Eight Go Go and a half-sister to Grade 3 winner

Notches Trace.

"It looks like he's as good as ever as a seven-year-old," Leatherbury said.

"He's not that well bred, I just hit a home run when everything fell into place

with this horse. He's super and has stayed totally healthy. He's probably one of

the best dirt-grass horses in the country. He'll run in the (Pennsylvania) Governor's Cup at

Penn National on June 1."

Three Lyons Racing's Sensible Lady successfully defended her crown in the

$100,000

The

Very One, a five-furlong turf dash for fillies and mares. A mere

three-year-old when she won last year's renewal at 24-1, the Street Sense filly

was backed down to 7-2 second favoritism here.

Well back in the field of 14 at the first call, Sensible Lady made steady

progress along the inside, shifted course inside the eighth pole and split

rivals late to forge clear by a neck. Under Angel Serpa, Sensible Lady completed

the distance in :56 2/5 and paid $9.20.

Nechez Dawn, who pressed the pace for the opening three-sixteenths, spurted

clear by two lengths in the stretch and held on gamely for the place, a length

ahead of 68-1 chance Donna Getyourgun. The order of finish was completed by

Nastar Medallist, Sounds of the City, 2-1 favorite Sweet Cassiopeia, Spun Cap,

Queen Chatanika, Colony Club, Suzzona, Mosaicist, There Is No Limit, Too Clever

by Half and Hidden Ball Trick. Quality lass and World Gone Wrong were withdrawn.

Sensible Lady was a four-time stakes winner last year, taking the Buckland at

Colonial Downs, Jenny Wade at Penn National and Coronation Cup at Saratoga

following her win in The Very One. She also placed in three other stakes. Her

record now stands at 18-8-0-4, $371,330.

"Her first start this year at Keeneland (a fourth in the April 20 Giant's

Causeway), she just doesn't fit there because that course is more sandy than

this one," winning trainer Tim Salzman said. "She's just amazing. She got shut

off 50 yards from the wire and still got there. She is a Street Sense, so I'd

like to stretch her out and look for better races."

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, Sensible Lady was a $9,500 OBS

two-year-old purchase. Reared by the multiple stakes-winning Awesome Lady, a

daughter of Bianconi, she hails from the same family as current multiple Grade 2

star Kauai Katie.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Emotional Kitten continued her surprise

ascent with a photo-finish victory over even-money favorite Summer of Fun in the

$100,000

Hilltop, a 1 1/16-mile grass test for three-year-old fillies.

Stumbling at the start under Joel Rosario, Emotional Kitten trailed the field

for more than six furlongs and by as much as 14 lengths. The Kitten's Joy began

to get involved around the far turn, made a six-wide bid around turning for

home, and just got up to register the nose victory at 5-1. She returned $12

after completing the course in 1:41 4/5.

"She stumbled out of the gate and grabbed a quarter," trainer Wesley Ward

revealed. "She showed a lot of heart."

Summer of Fun easily held second, 1 1/4 lengths clear of Zenzara. Completing

the order of finish were Miss Lucky Sevens, Premier Steps, pacesetter Birdlover,

and Le Fascinator. Hold Our Destiny, Kitten's Point and The Tea Cups were

scratched.

Emotional Kitten placed only twice in her first six outings, two of which

were stakes. She ended her juvenile campaign on a better note, taking a $75,000

maiden claimer at Gulfstream Park by 1 3/4 lengths. Following a third against

allowance foes in her sophomore debut at the same track, she next contributed to

her owners' record Keeneland meet with a come-from-behind allowance win on April

7 over the same trip as the Hilltop. Her record now stands at 9-3-1-1, $165,154,

and Ward said she will now be pointed toward the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs

on July 13.

Bred in Pennsylvania, Emotional Kitten was produced by the Ghazi mare Silent

Emotion, a stakes winner who's also reared the Grade 1-placed multiple stakes

winner Unspoken Word.

"It set up good for us with that other filly (scratched Winning Image) out of

the race," Figgins said. "I just kind of told Xavier to keep it close and that's

how it worked out. This horse is real easy to train. Even in defeat, she's run

awfully hard. Xavier feels strong about this horse because she's an easy one to

ride.

"She'll run in the Bed o' Roses at Belmont (on June 15) if she comes out OK.

Three weeks won't be a problem."

Dance to Bristol preceded this victory with stakes wins in the 2011 Pandera

at Aqueduct, the 2012 Marshua at Laurel and the $200,000 Sugar Maple at Charles

Town April 20, a race she won by nine lengths. Also four-times stakes-placed,

the daughter of Speightstown improved her career earnings to $410,880.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. and Mrs. David Garner, Dance to Bristol brought

$42,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile. She was produced by the Louis

Quatorze mare Dance to Dawn, a half-sister to Grade 1 victor Chief Honcho. Both

were reared by multiple Grade 3 winner Expressive Dance.

This extended family is responsible for noted sire Exclusive Native and

Grade/Group 1 winners Versailles Treaty and Poet's Voice.

Owned by CJZ Stable and trained by Tony Dutrow, I'm Mom's Favorite has

compiled a mark of 5-3-1-1, $138,940. Second on debut at Parx in December, the

Indian Charlie filly was maiden graduate by a nose at Aqueduct in early

February. Third in the $100,000 Cicada in her stakes debut next out, she

preceded this victory with a seven-length romp against allowance foes at Pimlico

April 13.

Bred in Kentucky by the partnership of VanMeter, McDonald and McKathan, I'm

Mom's Favorite was a $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic juvenile purchase. She was

produced by the Storm Cat mare Charming Toutsie, a daughter of multiple Grade 1

vixen Tout Charmant.

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