MONKTON, Md,--Billy Meister, known for many years as a top rider and trainer of steeplechase horses, a few years ago switched to training mainly flat horses, and he saddled his own Peace Out to win a $12,000 Claiming race for fillies and mares four and up at Penn National on March 7.

This was Meister's second flat race win in eight days as he had won another $13,000, 1 mile Claiming race for fillies and mares four at up at Penn National on Feb. 27 with Mary Haire's Happybirthdaycorey, who won by a neck.

Peace out (Photo by Bill Denver)Meister's homebred Peace Out won the 6 furlong race by  1 1/4 lengths after making a four wide move around the turn.

"I  bred her," said Meister. "She's always trying. She's had a few bad rides."

Peace Out, an allowance winner, has a first and a second from four starts this year.

Meister won 102 races from 1973 to 2014 as a jockey, including winning the Maryland Hunt Cup three times, in 1988 on Freeman's Hill, in 1990 on The Hard Word and in 1997 on Hello Hal.

He also was a multiple stakes winning trainer of 140 winners of over $2 million, four of them Maryland Hunt Cup winners, including Twill Do, who won twice, in 2010 ans 2012,  and was Leading Trainer of the Delaware Valley Point-to-Point Association a number of times.

A few years ago, Meister switched to mainly training flat horses, although he still has some steeplechase runners.

"I've switched gears around horses a number of time, from show horses to steeplechase horse and flat horses," he said. "It's supply and demand."

"I have 13 horses now, seven flat, four steeplechase and two looking for homes that I think I''v e found for them,"said Meister. "I'm looking for more owners now."

"I've kept myself alive by having nice show horses, both hunter and jumper, that I buy, remake and sell," he said. "I just sent two show horses to Florida to sell. They'd make either hunters or jumpers. They're both very good jumpers."

 

OTHER TRAINERS winning during the past month include Keri Brion, Graham Motion, Michael Matz and Ricky Hendriks.

In other racing news, Holy Boss, one of Maryland's leading stallions, was recently sold and has moved out of state.

With racing in Maryland in jeopardy with questions about renovating Pimlico and finding a venue for a training track, not only racing but breeding in Maryland has been affected.

BRION saddled four winners during the past month, beginning with Three Diamonds Farm's Celtic Prince, who won a $43,000, 61/2 furlong Maiden Claiming race at Aqueduct by 1 length on Feb 14.

Jodon Wycoff's Watasha won a $!2,600, 1 mile and 70 yards Claiming race by 3/4 length at Penn National on Feb. 21, and Serio Racing Stables and Christoper LaBerge's Pin Shot Babe won an $18,000, 5 1/2 furlong Maiden Claiming race by 5 1/4 lengths at Penn National on Feb. 27.

Brion saddled another Three Diamonds Farm's winner on March 5, May Mischief, who won a $94,000, 5 furlong Maiden Special Weight at Gulfstream.

MOTION also saddled four winners in the past month along with a Stakes winner in January.

Wertheimer and Frere's homebred Toupi won the G3, $100,000, 6 1/2 furlong Las Cienegas Stakes by 2 1/4 lengths on Jan. 19.

Motion saddled Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Bob Flay's Pretty Lavish to win a $58,000, 1 mile Allowance Optional Claiming race on the turf by a neck at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 8, and the following day saddled Jonathan P. Evans' Smart Union to win a $96.000, 1 mile Allowance Optional Claiming race on the turf at Gulfstream.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Fondly won a $53,000, 7 furlong Maiden Special Weight for 3-year-old fillies on the turf by 4 lengths at Tampa Bay on Feb. 14.

Motion had another Stakes winner with Cayton Park Stud's Beach Bomb, who won the $165.000, 1 3/8 mile The Very One Stakes for fillies and mare four and up on the turf by 1 length at Gulfstream on March 1.

HENDRIKS saddled Ken Kachel's Step Lightly to win a $20,000, 1 mile and 40 yards Maiden Claiming race for 3-year-old fillies by a neck at Tampa Bay on Feb. 6.

MATZ saddled Runnymoore Racing's Carentan to win a $28,000, 1 mile and 70 yards Claiming race by 2 1/4 lengths at Gulfstream on Feb. 7.