NEW CUMBERLAND, W. Va.--Ricky Hendriks saddled Epic (Arg) to win an $18,400, 1 mile Allowance race on the turf for 3 year olds and up that have never won three races at Mountaineer Ractrack on June 29.
Earlier in the day, Nevisian Spirit, also trained by Hendriks, won an $18,000, 1 mile and 70 yards Waiver Claiming race for fillies and mares at Delaware Park.
Both horses run in the name of Debra E, Kachel, although they are in fact owned by Kachel and Wendy Hendriks.
It was the first race for Epic under new ownership since Wendy Hendriks bought him for $25,000 at OBS Winter Sale last February.
Epic was brushed near the 5/8th pole, advanced in upper stretch and won by 1 3/4 lengths.
Previously, Epic had won two races in Argentina in 2018 before being imported to this country, where he ran eight times in claiming and allowance races with two seconds.
"He's a nice type,"said Hendriks of the 6-year-old. "He's tough. We might run him right back Wednesday at Parx in an allowance non-winners of four. It's a perfect race for him."
NEVISIAN SPIRIT was sold as a 2-year-old for $150,000, and Kachel bought him a couple of years ago for $8,200.
"My Mother loves her," said Hendriks. "She kept the mare and turned her out all last winter at her place."
"Courtney gallops her, and she did an exceptionally good job with her," said Hendriks of Courtney Dankanich, one of his exercise riders.
"Charlie Marquez rode her at Delaware," said Hendriks. "He started by riding in pony races. He rode against my son Parker in those pony races. He had a double foul claimed against him. I've never had a double claim of foul before, and he'd done nothing wrong. It was the other two horses crowding in on him."
Nevisian Spirit split rivals in upper stretch and edged ahead late to win by 1/2 length.
Hendriks will be shipping back and forth for the steeplechase races at Saratoga.
"We got four stalls there last year, but we didn't get any this year," said Hendriks, who has Optimus Prime and Surprising Soul, last year's G1 Lonesome Glory Stakes, aimed for the G1 A.P. Smithwick.
BERNIE HOUGHTON, who came roaring back after the ban on racing due to Covid-19 was lifted, saddled another pair of homebred winners, one or his mother Betsy's Sylmar Farm and the other for his own WMT Stable.
Both won at Penn National on July .
His own For the Moment won a $28,000, 6 furlong Allowance race for 3 year old and up who have never won anything other than maiden claiming, starter or Pa-bred.For the Moment made a quick, three wide move on the turn and won by 3 lengths with plenty left.
Sylmar Farm's Ravens Delight won a $34,160, 6 furlong Allowance Optional Claiming race for non-winners of two.
Ravens Delight took over on the turn and widened to win by 3 3/4 lengths.