How to bet Sunday’s Ben’s Cat Stakes at Laurel

A full field of turf dashers will speed six panels on the Laurel Park green in Sunday’s $75,000 Ben’s Cat S. The race for horses with breeding ties to the state of Maryland attracted a mixed bag of runners in what appears to be a very competitive contest. 

Ben’s Cat Wagers:

• $2 trifecta key 3 with 7,8,9,10 ($24)
• $1 trifecta 7,8,9,10 with 3 with 7,8,9,10 ($12)

I am quite interested in #3 Johnnyz From Albany (8-1) as a potential wire-to-wire candidate at a square price. The four-year-old son of Blofeld has run just once on the lawn in his lifetime when he was a close fourth in an allowance tilt here last summer, and the gelding will be making his seasonal debut on this occasion. 

Trained by Phil Capuano, the Maryland-bred has proven to be of stakes quality when properly placed in the past, and this appears to be a nice spot for the gray. He is by a capable sire and damsire to do good things on the grass, and the trio of bullet morning drills leading up to this heat are a positive sign, as well. There are more talented contenders in the field, perhaps, but Johnnyz From Albany could clear early and never look back late. 

I’ll use the upset selection with a quartet of runners in the field. #7 Tidewater (5-1) was a sharp allowance winner on the course most recently and has won or placed in six of his eight lifetime tries at Laurel. The Anthony Aguirre pupil has some tactical speed combined with a nice turn of foot, and a top-three placing is well within reach under Sheldon Russell. 

#8 Matta (7-2) is no stranger to the stakes ranks and will improve in his second off the shelf for Michael Trombetta. The eight-year-old ran well in his seasonal bow, and the son of Take Charge Indy will get the jump on the deeper closing types in the group turning for home. 

#9 Had To Have Him (6-1) has never missed the board from four career tries on the lawn, while Elizabeth Merryman’s #10 Mission Man (12-1) also has some appeal on the cutback in distance following a route tally on the strip last time out.