Region’s Best

FIRST STAR: RONNEY BROWN. Longtime Charles Town trainer Ronney Brown achieved a career milestone on Saturday, when he won his 3,000th career race. He entered five horses on the card, including Castle Lights in a West Virginia-bred first-level allowance dash at 4 1/2 furlongs. She battled with Mackenzie’s Music most of the way, but inched away from that rival and won by three-quarters of a length in a 19-1 upset. Juan Nunez had the mount for owner Kenneth Brown. Ronney Brown saddled his first career winner at Charles Town in March 1986, and set a career-high in wins last year with 120. He sits in third in the current Charles Town trainer standings, with 25 wins.

SECOND STAR: DISTINCTLYPOSSIBLE. Monmouth Park began their 2023 this past weekend with two 10-race cards, each of which included a stakes race. Sunday’s Serena’s Song Stakes featured a stretch duel between Leader of the Band and Distinctlypossible. The former set the early pace, while the latter rated just off of her. Distinctlypossible made her move on the final turn, but Leader of the Band held firm. In the last sixteenth, Distinctlypossible pulled clear and won by 1 1/4 lengths. She made her first start of the season in late February and was well-beaten, but has since reeled off back-to-back wins. She’s owned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Gary Finder, Belmar Racing and Breeding LLC, Tim Cabron, Anna Cabron, and Team Hanley, trained by Chad Brown, and ridden by Samy Camacho.

THIRD STAR: BRITTANY RUSSELL. One of Maryland’s top trainers will saddle Cats Inthe Timber in Friday’s George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes. She prepared for the big weekend with a strong opening week at Pimlico, taking home seven races from 12 starters. She won with her first four starters of the meet between Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, then turned a training hat trick on Sunday.

Pimlico

FIRST STAR: BRITTANY RUSSELL. After a hot week, she’ll try to keep the momentum going this week.

SECOND STAR: STUART GRANT. Three of his homebreds won on Sunday: two trained by Brittany Russell, one by Mike Trombetta.

THIRD STAR: OUT OF SORTS. Pressed the pace and got up to win a second-level allowance optional claiming contest on Saturday.

Charles Town Races

FIRST STAR: RONNEY BROWN. Earned a thrilling milestone win on Saturday’s program.

SECOND STAR: LITTLE ROO ROO. Picked up her fourth win of the year, and first stakes victory, in Saturday’s Coin Collector Stakes.

THIRD STAR: GOLDEN KEY. Brown sent this one to victory on Thursday, for this 5-year-old gelding’s 10th career win and second in a row.

Monmouth Park

FIRST STAR: DISTINCTLYPOSSIBLE. Could be on the verge of a big year after her Serena’s Song victory.

SECOND STAR: PACO LOPEZ. Turned back-to-back hat tricks on Saturday and Sunday, with mounts in 19 of 20 races.

THIRD STAR: HOWGREATISNATE. Won a stretch duel to take Saturday’s Long Branch Stakes, the first step on the road to the Haskell Stakes.

Parx Racing

FIRST STAR: EARLY EDITION. Picked up her third straight victory in an open allowance sprint on Monday.

SECOND STAR: SOFIA VIVES. Turned a riding hat trick on Monday’s card, with three winners from five mounts.

THIRD STAR: ONE MORE SCOOP. This Pennsylvania-bred gelding prevailed in a second-level allowance optional claiming race on Wednesday to improve to 4-for-7 lifetime.