Most of the Virginia-bred focus Saturday will be at Laurel Park, where a four pack of $75,000 stakes will be contested, but two Virginia-bred horses are competing in a pair of elite races elsewhere on Saturday.
Long On Value won the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs in 2013. Courtesy of Coady Photography.
Long On Value, a 6 year old Value Plus horse, is one of 19 entered in the $738,000 Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Class I) at Royal Ascot. The Bill Mott trainee was bred by the Snow Lantern Thoroughbreds and will go to post in the 4th race sprint at 11:20 AM. Long On Value has bankrolled $891,093 from 27 starts including a victory in last July’s Lucky Coin Stakes at Saratoga. Most recently, he earned a runner-up finish in the Grade I Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai March 5th.
Long On Value was a close second in the $1 Million Al Quoz Sprint March 25th in Dubai. Photo by Andrew Watkins.
Out of the Orientate mare, Long Message, Long On Value won the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial Downs in 2013. The Diamond Jubilee is a featured event of closing day at Royal Ascot and was first run in 1868, though by a different name back then.
4/1/2017 – GIRVIN with jockey Brian Hernandiez Jr aboard wins the 104th running of the Grade II Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. Hodges Photography/Amanda Hodges Weir
Talk Less is a 3 year old Blame colt who was bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin. He will face his biggest career test Saturday when he competes in the $500,000 Ohio Derby (Gr. 3) at Thistledown. The race has been carded as the eighth and will go to post at 5:30 PM. Talk Less is 2-for-6, but he has won two straight including a recent allowance triumph at Thistledown May 13th. Previously, he scored in a maiden special weight race at Mahoning Valley April 18th. He will face a pair of Kentucky Derby entrants Saturday. Girvin, 2-1 early, won the Louisiana Derby and finished 13th in the Derby, while Irap won the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, and finished 18th in the Derby. Out of the Afleet Alex mare, Aristra, Talk Less is part of a three horse entry and is 12-1 early.