NEW KENT, Va.--Keri Brion saddled a 2-year-old to win in his very first race at Colonial Downs, while Graham Motion had an allowance winner at Saratoga and a stakes winner at Kentucky Downs.
Bernie Houghton, Michael Matz and Arch Kingsley also had winners, and a Pa-bred filly won impressively at Del Mar.
Maram LLC's Dandy Handyman won a $60,000, 1 mile Maiden Special Weight turf race for 2 year olds by a head at Colonial Downs on Sept.7.
"He's a nice little horse,"said Brion. "I've had him since January, and this was his first race.He does everything right in the morning. He should improve off this race. We'll probably take him to Keeneland next."
This was Brion's second flat winner this year, and she's also has a couple of very close seconds at Saratoga.
Brion was leading steeplechase trainer last year in her first year of training after serving as Jonathan Sheppard's assistant trainer, and this year she is currently leading in Trainer Money Won and stands second in Races Won, but she is working to expand her stable to include winning flat horses, following in the footsteps of Sheppard who had Eclipse winners both on the flat and over fences.
"This is what I've always wanted to do, to have flat horses as well as jumpers,"said Brion. "I'm hoping winning races like this will show owners that I'm successful training flat horses, too."
"Karen Woods, who races as Maram, actually had jumpers with Jonathan," said Brion."I've kept in touch with her, and she sent me three 2 year olds in January. I probably have six or seven nice two year olds now."
MOTION saddled Alex G.Campbell's homebred Bye Bye Melvin to win a $125,000, 1 1/8 mile Allowance on the turf by 3 1/2 lengths after leading for most of the race at Saratoga on Sept.1.
"He's a free runner, like his sister Mean Mary," said Motion,
Mean Mary is a multiple graded stakes winner.
"We gelded him, and that really helped him,"said Motion. "He's a big horse, and he's tough in the morning."
Gary Broad's Vergara,trained by Motion, won a $250,000, 1 5/16 mile turf race at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 5.
Vergara raced first or second through the race, was challenged by Skims, trained by Shug McGaughey, in the stretch but dug in to win by a head.
Motion also had two Maiden Special Weight winners, with Isabelle de Tomaso's Indiantown winning a $68,750, 1 1/16 mile turf race for 3 year olds and up at Monmouth by a neck on Aug. 28.
Classic Vinyl, owned by Medallion Racing, Monkey Horse Racing and Masterpiece Thoroughbred Racing, won a $42,000, 6 furlong race for 2 year olds at Delaware Park by a neck on Sept. 7.
A PA-BRED 2-year-old filly, Huntingcoco, won an $80,000 Maiden Special Weight race at Del Mar by 6 3/4 lengths on Sept. 4.
Huntingcoco was bred by HnR Nothhaft Horse Racing, is now owned by Villa Rosa Farm and Harlo Racing and is trained by Bob Baffert.
This was Huntingcoco's first race, and by winning at Del Mar so impressively, she looks like she might have a very bright future.
BERNIE HOUGHTON had two winners, the first in a 21,500, 6 furlong Maiden Claiming race for 3 year olds and up at Penn National on Aug. 24.
Richard Bosshard Jr.'s homebred Heavenly Heart won by 9 lengths after stalking the early pace and drawing off to win as much the best.
Hillman Racing's Midnight Parade, bred by Betsy Houghton, won a $27,500five furlong Maiden Special Weight for 2-year-old fillies by an impressive 7 lengths at Penn National on Sept.1.
MICHAEL MATZ also had two winners, both 3-year-old fillies.
Bass Stable's homebred Chorus Girl on a $60,000.1 mile Maiden Special Weight turf race by a neck at Colonial Downs on Aug. 24.
John A, Damico's Lady Outoftheblue, bred by Sheppard, won a $22,500, 1 mile Maiden Claiming race at Penn National on Aug. 26.
ARCH KINGSLEY saddled Mark W. Buyck's Tolaga Bay to win a $70,000, 1 mile Allowance turf race at Colonial Downs on Aug. 30.
Tolaga Bay rated inside, swung three wide into the stretch and got up to win by 3/4 length,