LAUREL,Md.--Michael Matz had quite a week, as from June 12 to June 18 he saddled six winners including four for Gregory and Caroline Bentley's Runnymoore Racing.
Alla Brave winning at Laurel (Photo by James McCue)Three of Runnymoore's winners were also homebreds, including Understudy Kitty, a 3-year-old colt that won a $41,000, 1 1/16 mile Allowance Optional Claiming turf race by 2 lengths at Delaware Park on June 13.
"We've always liked him," said Matz. "We ran him as a 2-year-old, and he broke his maiden, then we gave him time off over the winter. I'm not sure where we'll run him next."
"Mr. and Mrs. Bentley are in Europe," said Matz, who added that he hadn't talked to them but that he hoped they were pleased with their winners. "Joe Cassidy is their manager. He's done a really good job with these horses. He's good to work with."
The following day, Runnymoore's Alla Breve won a $55,945, 5 1/2 furlong Allowance race on the turf by a neck at Laurel.
"Most of these six winners we had in Florida," said Matz. "We gave them all a race in Florida and then turned them out for 60 days in Ocala. We're just bringing them back to the races now, and they're rewarding us for their time off."
"Alla Breve is a Mendelssohn filly that we've always liked,"said Matz. "She ran twice in Florida, and we didn't think that she got the best of rides."
ALLA BREVE finished second and fourth in allowance races at Gulfstream in January.
Matz switched jockeys to Horacio Karamanos, and Alla Breve won, giving her a record of three wins, a second and a third from nine starts.
"There's a Md-bred stakes at Laurel next month, or maybe we'll race her in Canada," said Matz. "She's a nice little filly. She's not very big, but she's beautifully made."
Matz had two other Runnymoore homebred winners in the week, Up for It in a $24,728, 5 furlong Maiden Claiming race on the turf by 1 1/2 lengths at Penn National on June 12, and Amunet in a $25,905, 1 mile and 70 yards turf race by a neck at Penn National on June 18.
He saddled Caroline Forgason's homebred Selassie to win a $15,125, 1 mile and 70 yards Claiming race by 1/2 length at Presque Isle on June 17.
He also saddled Michael Moran's homebred Corinna to win a $20,500, 1 1/16 mile Claiming race by 3/4 length at Delaware Park on June 15.
GRAHAM MOTION had three winners, including a stakes winner, in two days.
Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Touple won the $100,000, 5 1/2 furlongs Stormy Blue Stakes on the turf by 2 1/4 lengths at Laurel on June 15.
The day before, Motion saddled two winners at Laurel, Sycamore Hall Thoroughbreds' homebred Hardspun Reason in a $60,755 Allowance Optional Claiming turf race by 3/4 length and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Active in a $46,205, 1 1/8 mile Maiden Claiming turf race by 2 1/4 lengths.
RICKY HENDRIKS saddled Winflower's Aspiring Comedian to win a $16,000, 6 furlong Maiden Claiming race by 2 3/4 lengths at Delaware Park on June 12.
