Leatherbury

After Malibu Moonshine won the Miracle Wood Stakes yesterday at Laurel Park, they delayed the presentation in the winner's circle until the owner of the horse could get there. He was coming. He just needed a little extra time. Woodrow Marriott, 90, made it into the winner's enclosure to accept the trophy for his 3-year-old colt, an early contender for the Preakness. King T. Leatherbury, trainer of Malibu Moonshine, said the hard-fought victory in the one-mile race - the colt's fourth win in seven starts - kept him on the treadmill of races leading to the spring classics.

Trainer Dale Capuano won another title at the Timonium meeting that concluded yesterday, then disagreed with the new method that determines the winner. Under a system installed for this year, a winner yields five points to a trainer, a runner-up three, a third place two and a fourth place one. Previously, the championship was determined by wins alone. "I was surprised they made the change," said Capuano, who had been the leading conditioner in Maryland five times in the past six years.

After a long and frustrating summer, King Leatherbury raced into the record books yesterday on the opening program at Timonium Race Course. The venerable Maryland thoroughbred trainer finally broke the 6,000-win barrier when Cherokee Sunrise pulled away for a 4 1/4 -length victory in the seventh race, a maiden special event for 2-year-olds. Third on the all-time list, the Baltimore native and Mitchellville resident joined Dale Baird and Jack Van Berg as the only trainers with as many wins.

King Leatherbury's quest to become the third trainer in history with 6,000 winners will continue after Will's Cat and All Irish were unable to win yesterday at Laurel Park. In the sixth race, Will's Cat was gaining at the wire but lost by a half length to Toscani. In the day's final race, All Irish was never a factor, finishing sixth in a 13-horse field. "This is taking an awfully long time," said Leatherbury, who is 0-for-20 during the Laurel summer meet. Leatherbury has no starter today but will saddle two 10-1 shots on tomorrow's card: Bello Ragazzo and Gimme.

Horse racing may be impressed with King T. Leatherbury's record, but the horses aren't. His 5,998 victories as a trainer haven't earned him the respect he deserves from his four-legged charges. "Horses aren't even that fond of King. They know they can bully him," said Linda Leatherbury, his wife. "If he's leading them around the shed row, the horses will start walking him into walls. They know they have the upper hand." But it's Leatherbury who has the magic touch. At 70, he is poised to pass a milepost at Laurel Park, which starts its summer meet today.

The return of Magic Weisner and King Leatherbury's pursuit of his 6,000th win could highlight an unusually spicy opening day at Laurel Park. Racing returns Thursday to the Maryland track after a six-week break for competition at Colonial Downs. Leatherbury, 70, is two wins shy of becoming the third trainer to win 6,000 races. Dale Baird and Jack Van Berg are the others. Leatherbury, who saddled his first winner in 1959, has 51 training titles at Pimlico and Laurel Park. "What can I say?

On March 5, 2003, FRANCES T. JACOB, of Parkton, MD, beloved wife of the late George F. Jacob, mother of George P. Jacob, sister-in-law of Ruth Jacob of Towson, MD and Katherine Leatherbury of San Diego, CA. There will be no viewing. Following cremation, services will be private at the convenience of the family. Arrangements by J.J. Hartenstein Mortuary, Inc., 24 Second St., New Freedom, PA.

Ernest J. Leatherbury, chief of the Crisfield Police Department who was the highest-ranking black officer in the Maryland State Police when he retired from the force six years ago, died Friday at McCready Memorial Hospital in Crisfield after a heart attack. He was 55. Chief Leatherbury collapsed during a late-afternoon meeting at the police station and was pronounced dead a short time later. His death shocked and saddened colleagues on the small force, who remembered him as a role model and friend.

When star jockey Kent Desormeaux left Maryland a decade ago, trainer King T. Leatherbury turned to upstart Mark Johnston. Riding for Leatherbury, when Leatherbury was king, Johnston soared to the top ranks of Maryland riders. Yesterday, riding for Leatherbury, even though Leatherbury is no longer king, Johnston scored with Dynamic Trick in the $100,000 Laurel Turf Cup, a Grade III turf stakes of 1 1/2 miles at Laurel Park. A Maryland-bred son of Dynaformer and Pretty Tricky, Dynamic Trick stalked the long-shot mare Maria's Tiara until the head of the stretch.