COATESVILLE, Pa.--Michael Matz just enjoyed a few weeks that might be unequaled in equestrian sport.
Late Frost winning over Lady Liberty Belle (Photo by Mary Lyons)Not only did he train three winners, including a stakes winner and the first and second placed horses in a $100,000 Allowance race, but also his son Alex was named to the team to compete in the Barcelona Nations Cup Finals.
And to make it even better, Alex will be competing in the same arena in Barcelona in which Michael competed in the Olympics.
It's very rare to have a father and son both so excellent in show jumping that they make an Olympic team and a team in a major competition like the Nations Cup Finals.
Only Nelson and Rodrigo Pessoa come to mind as another father son combination that has so excelled.
MATZ SADDLED Runnymoore's Late Frost to win a $100,000, 6 furlong Allowance race for Delaware certified fillies by 3/4 length at Delaware Park on Sept. 19, and he also saddled Runnymoore's Lady Liberty Bell to place second.
Late Frost has been remarkable consistent and now has five wins. three seconds and three thirds from 12 starts and earnings of $400,790.
"She''s a nice filly," said Matz. "We try to put her in good spots."
It was kind of a weird deal," said Matz. "There had been a Delaware certified race a couple of days earlier that had only five entries, so it didn't fill. They said if the could get six entries, they'd run it."
"We have this filly Lady Liberty Belle," said Matz. "She was a very difficult filly to train, and I wanted to give up on her. Joe Cassidy runs Runnymoore Farm for Caroline and Greg Bentley. He persuaded me to keep on with the filly, and we finally got her to the races, and she won at a mile. But she was the only other Delaware certified filly we had, so I talked to Joe. I said that the race wasn't her best distance, but he said, `Put her in it.' So I did, and she was second."
John D'Amico's Lady Outofthe Blue won the $50,000,1 1/16 mile Fort Indiantown Gap Stakes on the turf for fillies and mares 3 and up by 3/4 length at Penn National on Aug. 30.
"Jonathan Sheppard bred her, and John bought her from Jonathan," said Matz.
This was Lady Outofthe Blue 's first Stakes win, having previously placed second in the Lyphard Stakes at Penn National in May.
"She'll run in an allowance at Laurel next Sunday," said Matz.
A third Runnymoore filly, Up for It, won a $23,000,5 furlong Starter Optional Claiming race for fillies and mares 3 and up by 1 length at Delaware Park on Aug. 29.
"Alex' horses left for Barcelona this morning,"said Matz. "Alex will ride another horse at Old Salem this weekend and then fly over. DD and I are are going over next week."
GRAHAM MOTION had four winners, including two Stakes winners.
Hollywood Syndicate's Isivunguvungu (SAF) won the $150,000, 1/2 furlong Da Hoss Stakes for 3 year olds and up on the turf by a neck at Colonial Downs on Sept. 7.
Bridlewood Farm and Madaket Stables' No Show Sammy Jo won the $100,000, 1 1/8 mile All Along Stakes for 3-year-old fillies by 1/4 lengths at Laurel on Sept.14.
Motion also saddled Calumet Farm's homebred Correto to win a $100,000, 7 furlong Maiden Special Weight for 2-year-old fillies by 1 3/4 lengths at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 1 in her first ever race .
Madaket Stables' homebred Jack and Jim won a $75.000, 1 1/16 mile Maiden Special Weight for NY-bred 2 year olds by 3/4 length at Belmont at the Big A on Sept.22.
LIZ MERRYMAN saddled two winners, including a Stakes winner.
Hasting Farm's Jean Valjean won the $50,000, 5 furlong Don't Close Your Eyes Stakes by 3 1/2 lengths at Penn National on Aug. 30.
Merryman also saddled Greyledge Thoroughbreds' Princess Javoncia to win a $100,000, 1 1/16 mile Starter Allowance for fillies and mares 3 and up by 1 1/2 lengths at Delaware Park on Sept.14.
ARCH KINGSLEY saddled Richard Colton's Bee Well to win a $32,000, 1 1/16 miles Maiden Claiming race by 3 3/4 lengths at Colonial Downs on Sept. 6.
KERI BRION saddled Sherwood Bryant's homebred Northern Tick Tock to win a $30,320, 1 1/16 mile Claiming race on the turf by 6 lengths at Laurel on Sept. 15.
JACK FISHER saddled Riverdee Stable's Roja Redemption to win a $27,800,1 1/8 mile Claiming race on the turf by 2 1/2 lengths at Laurel on Sept. 21,
RICKY HENDRIKS saddled Winflower's Inbound to win a $19,675, 1 mile and 70 yards Maiden Claiming race by a nose at Delaware Park on Aug. 31.