He died on July 18, 2017, due to complications related to colic surgery and was later buried at Laurel Park.

Ben's Cat was bred by King T. Leatherbury, who was also the nearly black gelding's owner and trainer.

Ben's Cat's dam, Twofox, was a stakes-placed mare by Thirty Eight Paces,[2] a stakes winning stallion also trained by Leatherbury.

[3] Although Leatherbury is one of the winningest trainers in American racing history, his stable had shrunk to just fourteen horses by the time Ben's Cat came along.

In part because of Ben's Cat success, Leatherbury was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015 at the age of 82.

"[6] Ben's Cat's last win came on May 20, 2016, in the Jim McKay Turf Sprint, a race in which he was well behind and in heavy traffic with a quarter-mile remaining.

After he finished ninth in the Mister Diz Stakes on June 24, 2017, Leatherbury decided to retire the horse.

"[16] Ben's Cat finished his career a record of 32 wins from 63 starts, including 26 stakes race victories.

On July 6, 2017, he underwent surgery at the Haygard Equine Medical Institute for an epiploic foramen entrapment, a condition that unlike typical cases of colic is unrelated to changes in diet or routine.

"[19] On November 11, Ben's Cat was buried on the northeast side of the paddock at Laurel Park.

[6] In 2016, the Ben's Cat Stakes at Laurel Park for Maryland-bred horses was named in his honor.