BALTIMORE, 04-05-14---Julian Pimentel kept Ben’s Cat under a snug hold until a furlong from home, then signaled for him to go and spurted away to win the $75,000 Mister Diz Stakes, the first of three stakes races Saturday afternoon at Pimlico Race Course. This was the fifth year in a row that the King Leatherbury homebred has won the Mister Diz.

Hall of Famer Kelso won the Jockey Club Gold Cup five straight times (1960-64).

Making his season debut, the 8-year old son of Parker’s Storm Cat covered the 5-furlong distance over the good turf in 1:01.75. He won by 1-3/4 lengths over Sonny Inspired, while Relentless Move finished another length back in third.

“The horse outside of us (Relentless Move) wanted to go, so we just stayed with him,” Pimentel said. “We didn’t have a plan. I always just let him do his thing. He seems to know what to do and when to do it. He is as good now as he has ever been.”

The gelding has amassed more than $500,000 in earnings for three consecutive years and ranks eighth on the all-time Maryland-bred list with $1,907,640. He is now 25-of-38 lifetime with 20 stakes victories. Pimentel has been aboard for 17 of the wins.

“It’s an amazing thing. This horse is better than ever. I’ve run out of material talking about him,” Leatherbury said. “His disposition is very mild but he’s started to show more fire the last year or so.”

Leatherbury said Ben’s Cat will make his next start in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint on Black-Eyed Susan Day, a race he won in 2011 and 2013.

“This is the best he has ever been coming back off his winter layoff,” said Avon Thorpe, Leatherbury’s assistant. “He is training better than ever before. I am expecting a really big year.”

About Pimlico Race Course

Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.

Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.