From a Maryland Jockey Club release
King Leatherbury tied and passed Hall of Fame trainer Jack Van Berg for fourth on the all-time win list with a pair of victories Saturday afternoon at Laurel Park.
Leatherbury got win 6,417 when Toni With an I ($11.20) emerged victorious in the fourth. Three races later, Princess Appeal ($7.60) got up in the final jumps to allow the 80-year-old conditioner to move into sole possession of the spot with career victory 6,418. Apprentice Trevor McCarthy rode both winners.
“It is great,” Leatherbury said. “The wins added up over the years. We have only had the one division the entire time, which makes it even more remarkable.”
Only the late Dale Baird (9,445 wins), Steve Asmussen (6,644) and Jerry Hollendorfer (6,569) have more career victories. Scott Lake ranks sixth, nearly 1,000 winners (5,424) behind Leatherbury and Van Berg.
In the mid 1970’s, Leatherbury had four consecutive 300-win campaigns and was the nation’s leading conditioner in 1977 and 1978. He finished in the top three for six straight years (1975-1980).
(Featured image by Jim McCue, Maryland Jockey Club.)
