UNIONVILLE, Pa.--Wendy Hendriks not only races flat and steeplechase horses and wins, her children and grandchildren are all involved with racing, and they also are winning.

Wendy, Parker, Ricky and McLane Hendriks filephotofrom 2019Wendy Hendriks has had two winners in the past two weeks, Sailor's Salute and Nevesian Spirit, a mare she owned in partnership with her son Ricky and Debra Kachel, in whose name the mare ran.

Both winners were trained Ricky Hendriks.

Sailor's Salute won a $15,000, 1 mile Claiming race at Presque Isle by 1 1/4 lengths on Aug. 17, and Nevesian Spirit won a $13,000, 1 mile Claiming race, also at Presque Isle,by a head on Aug. 17.

"I bought Sailor's Salute in partnership with Cary Frommer," said Wendy. "She tried to sell her share, and I ended up with her because he's a Pa-bred. I call her Flamingo because she stands in the stall holding up one leg,, and then she switches and stands holding up another leg."

Nevesian Spirit was claimed by Ron Potts out of the Presque Isle race.

"Nevesian Spirit was my favorite horse," said Wendy. "We won eight races with her and a lot of seconds and thirds. She always tried. I was sorry to lose her, but I didn't want to breed her. I'm done with breeding."

 

ALONG WITH her late husband Dicky, Wendy has founded a dynasty.

Son Ricky is a winning trainer of both flat and steeplechase horses, and Wendy has three grandchildren who are also making their mark on racing as well as one too young for racing but is also into horses.

McLane Hendriks has a successful career as an amateur steeplechase jockey, and this year he began training, saddling a stakes winner in his first year, a feat very few have accomplished.

Witty has won two stakes and placed second in a third since McLane took over training from his mother, Liz Merryman.

"Witty is running in a stakes at Parx this week," said Wendy.

Granddaughter Liza Hendriks is working as an announcer for racing on television.

She has been announcing steeplechase races at Saratoga, before and after races, handicapping races before the race and  interviewing winners after the race.

The "dynasty" came together a couple of times at Saratoga, as Parker Hendriks won two races and was interviewed by Liza.

Parker Hendriks is only 18, but he is already a top steeplechase jockey, and he has built up huge leads in both Races Won and Money Won.

Parker has 17 wins, to lead Freddie Proctor, who has 10 wins, and he has $469,50 to Graham Watters $338,850.

"I'm so proud of him," said Wendy.

Natalie Hendriks is just 16, but she already hunts first flight with Cheshire Foxhounds.

 

MICHAEL MATZ has had three winners recently at three different tracks.

Michael Moran's homebred Corinna won a $40,000 Maiden Special Weight at Delaware Park by 1 1/2 lengths on July 28.

The 3-year-old filly raced off the pace in the 1 1/16 mile turf race, closed well on the turn and drew clear late.

Runnymoore Racing's Night Command won a $27,100, 1 mile and 70 yards Maiden Special Weight turf race at Penn National on Aug. 5.

The 3-year-old filly was off slowly and closed on the rail to win by 1 3//4 lengths.

Runnymoore Racing has a second winner in Amunet.

Amunet won a $44,960, 1 1/16 mile Maiden Claiming turf race by 2 lengths at Laurel on Aug. 14.

BERNIE HOUGHTON had three winners, two of them his own.

WMT Stables' homebred On Island Time won a $31,600, 5 furlong Allowance race, taken off the turf, by 1 3/4 lengths at Penn National on July 28.

Another WMT Stales homebred, Simply Stated, won a $27,100, 4 1/2 furlong Maiden Special Weight at Penn by 3 1/2 lengths on Aug. 11.

Harry Hoglander's homebred Our Jessica won an $18, 100, 6 furlong Maiden Claiming race by 1 length at Penn on Aug. 12.

BROOKLYN STRONG, by Wicked Strong who stands at Dr. Solomon's Pin Oak Lane Farm in New Freedom, Pa., ran third in the $125,000 Evan Shipman Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 12.

A graded stakes winner, this was Brooklyn Strong's second time to run third in a Stakes this year.