King Leatherberry, a Hall of Fame trainer celebrated as the “King of the Claimers” for his exceptional skill in transforming affordable horses into winners in lower-tier horse racing over six decades, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 92. According to the Maryland Jockey Club, his son Taylor confirmed Leatherberry died at home, though the cause of death was not revealed.
Leatherberry, who retired in 2023, became only the third trainer ever to notch more than 6,000 wins, joining Dale Baird and Jack Van Berg. He finished with an impressive 6,508 victories and accumulated over $64 million in purse earnings, according to Equibase. His accomplishments include winning 52 training titles across Maryland tracks—26 each at Pimlico and Laurel—and four titles at Delaware Park.
Taylor Leatherberry told Laurel Park, “He’s one of a kind. There was no man more worthy of that name than my father.” King Leatherberry was part of Maryland racing’s famed “Big Four,” alongside Hall of Famers Bud Delp, Richard Dutlow Sr., and John Tummaro Jr., who dominated the scene in the 1960s and 1970s and advanced training techniques emphasizing both speed and endurance.
Reflecting on that era in 2013, Leatherberry said, “The Big Four era was really fun. It was fun competing against them and it made us all better trainers.” Between 1975 and 1978, he led North American trainers in wins for two consecutive years, with over 300 victories each season.
He was a first-ballot inductee into the National Museum of Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 2015. Leatherberry trained just one horse for the Kentucky Derby, I Am the Game, which finished 13th in 1985 but placed fourth in the Preakness Stakes that year. He also had three other horses run in the second leg of the Triple Crown during his career.
A Maryland native, Leatherberry earned his trainer’s license in 1958 and claimed his first win the next year at Sunland Park (now Tampa Bay Downs). He shared in a 2013 interview that his early interest in horses came from his father, a breeder and owner who also enjoyed betting. Leatherberry credited his success to genuinely enjoying the work, saying, “I never thought about this job seriously. I enjoy it, and that’s probably what made the difference.”
After completing a business administration degree at the University of Maryland, he studied racetracks and past performance data meticulously while mastering the claiming game—where owners buy horses for set prices in designated races. Unlike many trainers, he often worked from home, directing a dedicated staff to manage his horses.
In a 2005 Washington Post interview, he noted, “At that time, in the early ’60s, no one was claiming ownership of horses. It was a time when people were starting to manage horses in a businesslike way.”
The standout horse of Leatherberry’s career was Ben’s Cat, which he bred, owned, and trained. Ben’s Cat won 32 races—including 26 stakes—and earned over $2.6 million from 2010 to 2017. The beloved horse died in 2017 and is buried near Laurel’s paddock.
Leatherberry also trained Grade 1 winners Catatonic and Take Risks. Another notable horse was Port Conway Lane, who raced from 1971 to 1983, winning 52 of 242 starts.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Linda, and twin sons, Taylor and Todd.
Fan Take: King Leatherberry’s passing marks the end of an era for horse racing, as he was a pioneer who demonstrated that success can come from smart, strategic claiming rather than just big budgets. For horse racing fans, his legacy inspires hope that dedication and knowledge can continue to keep the sport competitive and exciting for years to come.
