Leatherbury: Anyone wanna go in on a nice Breeders' Cup horse?
Maryland-based trainer King Leatherbury is known as a master of the claiming ranks, but he doesn't often get the chance to compete at the sport's highest levels. In fact, the 78-year-old has never had a Breeders' Cup horse.
But Monday, Ben's Cat stormed home to win the Turf Monster Handicap at Parx Racing, earning an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Problem is, Ben's Cat isn't Breeders' Cup-nominated, so it'll cost another $100,000 to get him in. Leatherbury tells the Thoroughbred Times:
“Now, I just don’t have that kind of money. That would be like betting 100 grand on my horse. I just don’t usually have horses in that upper echelon, you know."
"When asked if he would be willing to accept a partner to help him get the horse into the race, Leatherbury was quick to endorse such an idea."
“If there was someone, a sportsman, out there that wanted to work out some kind of a deal where he puts up the [supplemental] fee, then I could take care of the other expenses and get the horse in the race,” he said. “If the horse does well, the person could get his money back plus a percentage of any other [winnings]. Something could be worked out.”
