Ben's Cat hits $2 million mark with third straight win in Dash

The remarkable Ben's Cat finished furiously outside horses to get up in the final strides and win a three-horse blanket finish in the Grade 3 Parx Dash. The victory was Ben's Cat's third straight in the Dash and pushed his earnings past $2 million for the Jim Stable of his owner-breeder-trainer King Leatherbury.

Ben's Cat, 8, has now won 27 of 41 career starts. He was well back early in the five-furlong Parx Dash, rallied into the stretch from well out in the course, and was up to nail Tightend Touchdown by a nose. Marchman, between the top two at the wire, was another nose back in third. Bold Thunder who took the lead in upper stretch, was outfinished late and finished fourth, 1 1/2 lengths behind Marchman.

Ben's Cat was coming off a troubled fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Jaipur at Belmont Park. Prior to that race, he had won three straight. He concluded 2013 by winning the $250,000 Fabulous Strike at Penn National. He began this season by winning the Mister Diz for Maryland-breds at Pimlico and the open Turf Sprint, which was transferred to the main track, at Pimlico on May 16.

Ben's Cat completed the five furlongs over firm turf in 56.62 seconds. The top three finishers were all sent off at 5-2 in the nine-horse field. Ben's Cat paid $7.40 as the third choice in the betting.