Trainer Leatherbury wins 6,500th career race in Maryland

Published Sep. 22, 2018 7:00 p.m. ET

LAUREL, Md. (AP) — Hall of Fame trainer King Leatherbury earned his 6,500th career victory when 16-1 shot Happy Lantern won at Laurel Park.

The 85-year-old trainer reached the milestone on Saturday. He has saddled just 17 horses since his last win July 1 at Laurel and is down to 11 horses in his stable.

Happy Lantern won the $22,000 turf race for fillies and mares by a nose. She paid $34 to win.

Leatherbury ranks fifth all-time in wins among trainers, trailing only Dale Baird (9,445) and fellow active Hall of Famers Steve Asmussen (8,145), Jerry Hollendorfer (7,504) and Jack Van Berg (6,523).

Leatherbury has won 26 training titles each at Laurel and Pimlico, and has topped $1 million in annual purse earnings 32 times.

He says he is still healthy and plans to continue training as long as he can.