Virginia-breds had a solid Easter weekend, bagging five wins over Saturday and Sunday then for an encore, collected additional wins the immediate Monday and Tuesday after.

Horses bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin reached the winners circle three times in that span — Lovin d’Cause, Talk Less and the hot American Dubai. The wins came respectively at Mountaineer, Mahoning Valley and Sunland Park. The first two broke their maidens while the latter won his fourth straight race, all in 2017.

Lovin d’Cause is a 3 year old Creative Cause filly who surged from second in mid-stretch of her five furlong maiden special weight race April 15th to win by 3 1/2 lengths. The Michelle Helms trainee connected for the first time in four career outs. She is out of the Not For Love mare, Hawaiian Love.

Talk Less also was best in his maiden special weight test at the one mile, 70 yard distance. The 3 year old Blame colt won handily by five lengths after being sent off as the heavy betting choice. He is out of Aristra by Afleet Alex.

American Dubai, captured his first race of 2017 Feb. 14 at Sunland. Photo courtesy of Coady Photography.

American Dubai captured the $150,000 Sunland Park Handicap Easter Sunday with an effort that has been well documented. The 4 year old E Dubai colt continues to roll at Sunland Park, winning for the fourth straight time. The Rodney Richards trainee has earned over $150,000 this year and $244,022 from 11 career starts. He is out of the Bates Motel mare, Smash Review.

Susan Cooney and her 5 year old Closing Argument gelding, Made Bail, had a happy Sunday holiday as well. He was best in a $50,000 allowance race that featured a thrilling finish. Made Bail crossed inside, a nose over Elusive Joni and a neck over Grandiflora. He was making his first start since November 23rd and with the triumph, saw his bankroll rise to $180,607.

Made Bail (inside) wins a thriller over Elusive Joni and Grandiflora on Easter Sunday. Photo by Jim McCue.

The other three extended weekend victors gained their first lifetime wins. Balistes won a $20,000 maiden claiming steeplechase race at the Tryon Block House in Columbus, North Carolina with connections that thrived at the fall International Gold Cup card at Great Meadow. Trainer Neil Morris and rider Kieran Norris led the Sara Collette bred Balistes to a come from behind, three-quarter length win at the 2 1/8 miles distance. The 5 year old gelding is by Xenodon out of Jordani by Two Smart.

Sister Says was nearly 12 lengths behind in her $33,000 maiden claiming sprint at Laurel Easter Sunday, but came on in the last half to win by two. Bred and trained by Thomas Beal, the 3 year old Ecclesiastic filly did not race as a two year but has three “in the money” finishes in 2017, good for $30,990 in earnings.

The final victory of the seven was authored by Paper Moon at Parx on Tuesday. The 4 year old Henrythenavigator filly was making her first lifetime start and dominated, winning by 7 1/2 lengths at the one mile, 70 yard distance. She is out of the El Prado mare, Art Student, and was bred by the William Backer Revocable Trust.

Four of the seven also won bonuses  for their owners as part of the Mid-Atlantic incentive program, sponsored by the VTA and HBPA. Lovin d’Cause, Made Bail, Sister Says and Paper Moon each won an additional 25% for their winning efforts.

American Dubai was on the Derby trail early in 2016 and has blossomed at the current Sunland Park meet as a 4 year old. Bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, the E Dubai colt has won 4 straight at Sunland including the $150,000 Sunland Park Handicap Easter weekend. Here’s the recap from the Daily Racing Form.

American Dubai won his fourth consecutive race Sunday when he darted home by four lengths over Neck ‘n Neck in the $150,000 Sunland Park Handicap.

The race was one of two stakes on the card. On the Low Down won his maiden in the $110,000 Copper Top Futurity.

American Dubai ($6) broke last in the Sunland Park Handicap, but recovered and attended an opening quarter of 22.75 seconds. He proceeded to put up fractions of 46.68 for the half-mile and 1:10.68 for six furlongs. American Dubai increased his advantage through the stretch while covering the 1 1/8 miles on a fast track in 1:47.44, not far off the track record of 1:47.37.

Ken Tohill was aboard the winner for trainer Rodney Richards.

American Dubai’s streak has been built over the course of the Sunland meet. He won an optional $10,000 claiming route Feb. 14, then accounted for an optional $25,000 claiming route in track-record time March 7, covering a mile in 1:34.50. American Dubai won at the same level one start later, on March 26.

American Dubai, captured his first race of 2017 Feb. 14 at Sunland. Photo courtesy of Coady Photography.

American Dubai earned $90,000 for his win in the Sunland Park Handicap. He has now won five career races from 11 starts, for earnings of $244,022. He is a son of E Dubai and races for Richard Keith. The Sunland Park Handicap was the first career stakes win for American Dubai.

Fincher exacta in Copper Top

Horses trained by Todd Fincher accounted for the exacta in the $110,000 Copper Top Futurity, when On the Low Down won by 1 1/4 lengths over Red Raider. The 4 1/2-furlong race was for 2-year-olds bred in New Mexico.

On the Low Down covered the distance in 51.17 seconds. Tracy Hebert rode the winner for Dale Taylor, Bobby McQueen, and Suzanne Kirby. On the Low Down is a son of Dome. He won his maiden in the Copper Top, which marked his second career start. He has now earned $75, 556.

Stellar Wind and Victor Espinoza, left, hold off Beholder and Gary Stevens to win the Grade I $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, CA.
©Benoit Photo

Oaklawn Park’s Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) has been an ideal springboard for West Coast-based fillies and mares for some time—think two-time winner Zenyatta and three-time winner Azeri. The 2017 running of the 1 1/16-mile race April 14 in Hot Springs, Ark., puts another California-based champion in the spotlight as Stellar Wind is among six entered for the $600,000 race.

Hronis Racing’s daughter of Curlin   makes her 5-year-old bow in the Apple Blossom and will carry top weight of 122 pounds, four more than Stonestreet Stables’ homebred Terra Promessa, a five-time winner at Oaklawn, and five more than Nancy Vanier and Cartwright Thoroughbreds’ Streamline, upset winner of the Azeri Stakes (G2), Oaklawn’s prep for the Apple Blossom.

Stellar Wind at Oaklawn Park relaxing before Friday’s Grade I Stakes. Photo courtesy of Coady Photography.

Stellar Wind, who will have regular rider Victor Espinoza in the irons, was champion 3-year-old filly of 2015 and topped champion Beholder twice in their four meetings last year. Last year Stellar Wind fell just 1 1/2 lengths shy of Beholder in the Vanity Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita before topping Beholder in back to back efforts at the Apple Blossom distance in grade 1 stakes in Southern California. Stellar Wind closed out the year with a fourth in the Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff (G1), won by Beholder.

For Stellar Wind’s first start since her Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup race, trainer John Sadler has been able to put in a steady string of works in the chestnut mare, her last coming April 7 at Santa Anita where she went five furlongs in 1:00 3/5. Out of the Malibu Moon   mare Evening Star, Stellar Wind makes her first foray out of Southern California since running second in the 2015 Distaff at Keeneland.

“We gave her a vacation after the Breeders’ Cup, and with Southern California having such a wet January and February, we were going to be pressed to have her ready for the Santa Margarita,” Sadler said. “The Apple Blossom is such a classic and prestigious race.”

Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind and jockey Victor Espinoza, outside, outleg Beholder (GaryStevens), inside, to win the Grade I, $300,000 Zenyatta Stakes, Saturday, October 1, 2016 at Santa Anita Park, Arcadia CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO

Terra Promessa, also by Curlin, and out of the Yes It’s True mare Missile Bay, counters Stellar Wind’s Oaklawn debut by having won three graded stakes over the track. Last year she swept the grade 3 stakes for 3-year-old fillies—the Honeybee and Fantasy stakes—and this year won the listed Pippin Stakes and grade 3 Bayakoa Stakes for trainer Steve Asmussen. Traffic issues in the seven-horse Azeri contest may have compromised her from doing her best as she finished fifth at 3-10 under Irad Ortiz Jr. Ortiz’s brother, Jose, will ride in the Apple Blossom.

Streamline has a 2-2-3 career mark in seven starts at Oaklawn and made her biggest splash last time out with her one-length score in the Azeri at 12-1 after finishing behind Terra Promessa in the Bayakoa and Pippin.

Vanier is the widow of longtime top trainer Harvey Vanier, who trained top runners such as Play Fellow and Western Playboy prior to his death in 2013. Streamline (Straight Line  —Love Handles, by Sahm) is a fifth-generation product of the Vaniers’ breeding program. A $15,000 purchase, Streamline’s sire, by Boundary, won the 2004 Iroquois Stakes (G3) and the 2005 Ack Ack Handicap (G3) for Nancy Vanier and William Cartwright.

A year ago Streamline was second in the Apple Blossom behind Forever Unbridled.

A day after the 2017 Santa Anita Derby (G1), the race’s 2015 winner officially ended his racing career.

Dortmund, who won the Santa Anita Derby with a relentless effort two years ago, has been retired, owner Kaleem Shah said April 9.

“He’s been so good to us,” Shah said. “It’s time to take care of him.”

After his determined victory in the Santa Anita Derby, the massive chestnut son of Big Brown   rolled into the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) undefeated in six starts. He finished third in the Run for the Roses to Bob Baffert stablemate and eventual Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  , then ran fourth in the Xpressbet.com Preakness Stakes (G1).

Dortmund is owned by Vienna, Virginia businessman Kaleem Shah. Photo courtesy of Chad Harmon

BALAN: Dortmund Unrelenting in Santa Anita Derby

“The ride he took me and my family on—to go six-for-six into the Kentucky Derby—is something I’ll never forget,” Shah said. “If he didn’t get a bout of colic the week before the Kentucky Derby, who knows what happens.”

He came back to win two more stakes—the Big Bear and the Native Diver (G3)—to close out his 3-year-old year, but never won again, although he gave California Chrome   the stiffest of challenges in the 2016 San Diego Handicap (G2).

BALAN: ‘Chrome’ Edges Dortmund in Del Mar Battle

After a winless 4-year-old campaign and a split with Baffert, Shah moved Dortmund to trainer Art Sherman and he went winless in two 2017 starts for Sherman—a sixth-place run on grass in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1T) and a fourth-place finish in the April 1 Santana Mile Stakes back on dirt.

Kaleem Shah’s Dortmund and jockey Martin Garcia, right, hold off Firing Line and jockey Gary Stevens to win the Grade III $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes February 7, 2015 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA.

“He had some issues when I got him and that makes it a little bit tough with him getting up in age,” Sherman said. “But he’ll be a good stallion. I believe that.”

Shah said there is no current stud deal in place for Dortmund, but that he has already received inquiries from interested farms. Dortmund retired with an 8-2-2 record from 16 starts and $1,987,505 in earnings. Before his Santa Anita Derby win, he won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G1), Robert B. Lewis (G3), and San Felipe (G2).

“A lot of horses have some sort of issues, but we weren’t going to let him go through what Bayern   went through,” Shah said.

Event: FREE Derby Prep Race Handicapping Seminar

When: Saturday April 8th from 11 AM – 12 Noon

Event Details: What better way to start a day that features 3 huge Kentucky Derby prep races than with a handicapping session to break down the fields of those races and discuss ways to maximize your financial return.

The panel includes three popular experts — “Derby Bill” Watson, Peter Kreutzer and Frank Vespe. The Derby preps that day include the $1 Million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Gr. 2) from Keeneland, $1 Million Santa Anita Derby (Gr. I) and $750,000 Wood Memorial (Gr. 2) from Aqueduct. Stick around after the seminar and play these races along with the big under card stakes. This is racing’s biggest day yet of 2016!

Location: Ponies & Pints Off Track Betting Center in  downtown Richmond at 110 N. 18th Street in Shockoe Bottom.

Going 1200m (about six furlongs) on the turf straight of Meydan, the Al Quoz Sprint sponsored by Azizi Developments had the potential to deliver an exciting finish.

On Saturday afternoon it outdid itself when French-trained The Right Man (GB) held on by a diminishing nose over American invader Long On Value (USA) in a thrilling finish in a swift 1.09.59.

Ridden by Francois-Xavier Bertras in the colours of Pegase Bloodstock, the son of Lope de Vega won for the ninth time in 17 starts, and at the top level for the first time. Previously he was a Group 3 victor in France last November.

Long On Value was a close second in the $1 Million Al Quoz Sprint March 25th in Dubai. Photo by Andrew Watkins.

It was another length and a quarter back to the Bill Mott-trained runner-up , with Ertijaal (IRE) in third. Multiple European Group 1 winner Limato (IRE) and highly regarded Hong Kong gelding Amazing Kids (NZ) failed to factor.

The Right Man prepped for the Al Quoz with a course and distance try in the Nad Al Sheba Turf Sprint earlier in the month, finishing third behind Jungle Cat (IRE), who finished a nose behind Ertijaal in fourth.

“I was always confident,” Bertrand said. “I knew in the prep race that the horse was not 100 per cent fit and would come on from that. I got a good position (behind Ertijaal) and my horse was very brave right to the end. You live your life for moments like this.”

Guillemin added through a translator: “I was very emotional because it was an honour to be invited. To have such a finish and win it is absolutely amazing. We’re very proud of the horse. When he finished third here, we were very happy with that result and even happier that he’s won here tonight.

“Twenty years ago I would have never thought we would come here and win a Group 1,” Guillemin continued. “It’s absolutely majestic. I would like to thank the organisers. It’s fabulous what they do here.”

Guillemin confirmed that travelling to Hong Kong and possibly Royal Ascot are on the docket for his five-year-old bay gelding.

Riley Mott, assistant to trainer and father Bill Mott, was overjoyed with the the effort of Long On Value, whose finish was the best in Al Quoz Sprint history by an American horse. Previously, Stateside-conditioned contestants had finished third twice, with California Flag (USA) in 2010 and Green Mask (USA) in 2015.

“We’re speechless,” Mott said. “To come over here, half-way across the world, and compete with the top sprinters on the globe, we are just absolutely thrilled. I know it’s a loss, but it feels like a win. The owners were true sportsmen to bring him over here and he did not let us down whatsoever.”

The following appeared on the www.bloodhorse.com. Fans can watch & wager Dortmund’s race  Saturday April 1st on the same day as two huge Million Dollar Derby preps —the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds & the Florida Derby at Gulfstream. On line betting is available thru TVG.com, XPressBet.com, TwinSpires.com and NYRABets.com. The 2 new Off Track Betting Centers in Richmond will also carry the action — Ponies & Pints (downtown) and Breakers Sports Grille (west end).  

Kaleem Shah’s Dortmund sent a clear message to trainer Art Sherman after the son of 2008 Kentucky Derby  Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Big Brown   finished last by more than 10 lengths in his turf debut in the grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile March 11.

It will be back to square one when the 2015 Santa Anita Derby (G1) winner runs in the $75,000 Santana Mile for older horses on Santa Anita Park‘s main track April 1.

Kaleem Shah’s Dortmund and jockey Martin Garcia, right, hold off Firing Line and jockey Gary Stevens to win the Grade III $150,000 Robert B. Lewis Stakes February 7, 2015 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, CA.

“We tried the grass and it didn’t work,” Sherman said. “The horse has breezed well since then for Saturday’s race and he’s right on schedule to run.”

Dortmund posted a bullet four-furlong work at Los Alamitos Race Course in :46 flat to be the fastest of 21 at the distance March 25.

The Kilroe Mile marked the first race for Dortmund under Sherman’s direction. The 5-year-old chestnut was previously trained by Bob Baffert until Shah moved his horses to Sherman and Doug O’Neill at the beginning of the year.

In 2016 Dortmund did not post a win, but finished second in the Awesome Again Stakes (G1) Oct. 1 and the San Diego Handicap (G2) July 23 behind California Chrome  . He also finished third in the $1 Million TVG Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) Aug. 20, this time behind California Chrome and champion mare Beholder, and fourth in his last start of 2016 in the Las Vegas Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

There’s a lot of buzz in the racing world about Breeders’ Cup Classic and Pegasus World Cup winner Arrogate competing against 13 others in a start studded $10 Million Dubai World Cup, this Saturday March 25th.

Virginia-bred Long On Value will also be competing Saturday as part of World Cup under card at Meyden Racecourse in Dubai. The 6 year old Value Plus horse is entered in the $1 Million Al Quoz Sprint, which features a field of twelve at six furlongs.

Long On Value winning the Canadian Turf at Gulfstream. Photo courtesy Adam Coglianese.

Bred by the Snow Lantern Thoroughbreds, Long On Value has earned $691,093 from 26 starts and was most recently third in the Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint Stakes. He has collected a pair of graded stakes wins in his career — the Grade 2 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita (October, 2014) and the Grade 3 Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream Park (February, 2015). Long On Value’s first stakes win came at Colonial Downs in the Jamestown Stakes on July 6, 2013.

Long On Value won the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs in 2013. Courtesy of Coady Photography.

Long On Value is trained by Bill Mott and he will be ridden by Joel Rosario. This will be race 5 on the Dubai card and is slated for 10 AM departure (east coast time). Fans can wager via on line betting partner companies TVG.com, XPressBet.com,  TwinSpires.com and NYRABets.com. The two Richmond area Off Track Betting Centers — Ponies & Pints and Breakers Sports Grille — will simulcast races 7, 8 and 9 from Dubai beginning at 11:30 AM Saturday. The $10 million Dubai World Cup is slated to go off as the 9th race at 12:45 (EDT).

3 Saturdays In April, 6 HUGE Derby Prep Races! The top Kentucky Derby prep races of the season will be held the first three Saturdays in April. Three year old horses will be  looking to secure a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs! Each track hosting one of these key preps has an under card filled with graded stakes too!

Bet the action at one of the two new Richmond area OTBs — at Breakers Sports Grille in the west end or at Ponies & Pints downtown in Shockoe Bottom. Virginia residents can  also bet on line at TVG.com, XPressBet.com, TwinSpires.com and NYRABets.com.

Here’s the impressive lineup: