Virginia-breds took center stage nationally Sunday afternoon by winning the day’s two biggest stakes races, held respectively at Del Mar and Monmouth.

Stellar Wind, bred by the Keswick Stables and Stone Street Thoroughbred Holdings LLC, captured the Grade III Torrey Pines Stakes on the west coast while Edward Evans’ Valid was victorious in the Grade III Iselin Stakes on the east coast.

Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind jockey Victor Espinoza win the Grade III, $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes, Sunday, August 30, 2015 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO

Hronis Racing’s Stellar Wind jockey Victor Espinoza win the Grade III, $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes, Sunday, August 30, 2015 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, Del Mar CA.
© BENOIT PHOTO

Stellar Wind took the lead just past the three-quarter pole and cruised to an easy 4 1/4 length win in her $100,000 stakes at Del Mar. The daughter of Curlin faced a field of five other sophomore fillies and covered the mile in 1:36.43. In seven lifetime starts, Stellar Wind has five wins, four of them graded, to go with a third place finish and earnings of $553,200. One of her triumphs earlier this year was in the Grade I Santa Anita Oaks.

John Sadler trains Stellar Wind for Hronis Racing, LLC while Victor Espinoza guided the winner, who is out of a Malibu Moon mare, Evening Star.

Valid earned his third graded stakes win in similar style among a field of six in Monmouth’s $150,000 headliner. Jockey Nik Juarez directed the 5 year old Medaglia d’Oro gelding past frontrunner Bradester at the top of the stretch and never looked back, winning by 3 1/2 lengths. Valid, who is out of the Grand Slam mare, Grand Prayer, was making his 30th start. He covered the 1 1/8 miles effort in 1:50.14. With a bankroll of $699,107, he has collected nine wins, seven runner-up finishes and six thirds.

Valid with Nik Juarez riding won the $150,000 Grade III Philip H. Iselin Stakes at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey on Sunday August 30, 2015. Photo By Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO

Marcus Vitale trains the 5 year old gelding for the Crossed Sabres Farm. Valid covered the 1 1/8 miles effort in 1:50.14.

Though it wasn’t an attention getting graded stakes triumph, Brudda Clyde did complete a Virginia-bred stakes hat trick of sorts Sunday by winning his fifth straight in the $16,200 Peace Country Stakes at Alberta, Canada’s Evergreen Park.

The 6 year old Political Force gelding went gate to wire in the dirt mile stakes that attracted a field of eight. Budda Clyde was bred by James S. Carter.

The Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select sale kicks off tomorrow night. Take a look at the high-quality Virginia-bred and Virginia-owned yearlings on offer at the sales grounds.

Hip 37, Louisa Lenehan’s Harlan’s Holiday colt out of Artisanal, bred in Kentucky and consigned by James Herbener. Purchased by Starlight Racing for $250,000.

Hip 64, Bill Backer’s Exchange Rate colt out of Dinah Lee, consigned by Chilly Bleak Farm. Purchased by Ken McPeek, agt. for $110,000.

Hip 81, Audley Farm’s Bodemeister (himself bred by Audley) colt out of Exceptionally. A half brother to Hooligan, winner of last year’s Jamestown Stakes. Purchased by J. J. Crupi for $235,000.

Hip 147, Lazy Lane’s Gemologist colt out of Penny Marie, consigned by Warrendale Sales. Purchased by Hot Scot Racing for $80,000.

Hip 154, Audley Farm’s Union Rags colt out of Pink Champagne, consigned by Brookdale. Purchased by Michelle Crawford for $160,000.

Hip 52, Tale of the Cat out of Chemise, bred by Ned Moore, Jill Gordon Moore and John Behrendt. Chemise has 13 Foals of racing age, all winners, including a half by Gio Ponti that just broke its maiden in its first start at Woodbine. Purchased by Mathew Schera for $175,000.

Virginia-bred made it a hat trick in the Saskatchewan Lotteries Handicap at Marquis Downs on Saturday, lodging a driving victory by the better part of 3 lengths. Owned by Wind Dancer Stable and Bill Meikle, the 3-year-old gelding is by Larry Johnson’s Legacy Farm’s Street Magician and out of the Nureyev mare Dance Gaily. He was adding to a 4-length allowance victory at this same venue and a 2 3/4-length maiden win at Assiniboia last month.

Meanwhile, at Saratoga, Morgan’s Ford Farm enjoyed a first-out maiden special weight winner with Realm, a 2-year-old son of Haynesfield, now owned by Eric Dater, Barclay Tagg and Harry Astarita. Out of the Chief’s Crown mare Shawnee County, the bay colt lodged a 1 3/4-length victory after dueling in the straight.

Quest Realty’s homebred Nancy’s Gone Wild ticked off her first victory in a MSW at Charles Town on Friday, leading gate to wire in a 2 3/4-length victory over six rivals. The 3-year-old was making her third lifetime start–she had lodged two seconds at Penn National and Laurel last fall. By Offlee Wild, the bay miss is out of the Soto mare Nancy Z.

Across the county, a pair of valiant near misses: Appealing Tale, bred by Susie and Pug Hart, barely missed in the Grade II San Diego Handicap.

Appealing Tale was short by a neck in the Grade II San Diego Handicap.

The 5-year-old son of Tale of the Cat is multiple graded-stakes placed, including a second-place finish to Masochistic in the Grade I Triple Bend at Santa Anita last month. A head short to Catch a Flight here, Appealing Tale left the well-regarded Bayern in third and brought his lifetime earning to $383,222.

In the Monroe Handicap at Gulfstream, Virginia-bred Quiet Hour got up for third. Bred by Carolyn Nicewonder Beverly, the son of Quiet American out of the Salt Lake mare Gone to Utah is a multiple stakes placed earner of $129,222.

Other winners: Dapper Dan, bred by Mr. and Mrs. Bertram Firestone broke his maiden at Ellis Park on Sunday. By Pleasantly Perfect out of the War Chant mare Wardrobe, the 3-year-old is owned by Jeffrey Stoddard. Pauper’s Queen, bred by Atkins Home, lodged her sixth lifetime victory at Presque Isle on Sunday for current owner Ronald Clark. By Royal Academy out of the Robellino mare Regalino, the 7-year-old came under the wire 3 1/2 lengths to the good.

The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association’s 30^th annual National Awards Dinner will be held Friday, September 11 at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington, Ky. The National Awards Dinner honors the achievements of Thoroughbred owners in the four major North American racing regions and breeders in 23 states and Canada. For the tenth time since 2000, the Estate of Edward Evans has been named Breeder of the Year in Virginia: 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014, just announced.

TOBA’s National Breeder and National Small Breeder of the Year will be announced at the Awards Dinner.

The following regional owners will be honored:

• Eastern Region Owner of the Year: Juddmonte Farms
• Midwestern Region Owner of the Year: Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC
• Southern Region Owner of the Year: Kenneth L. & Sarah K. Ramsey
• Western Region Owner of the Year: Kaleem Shah

A National Owner of the Year will be selected from these regional owners. The National Owner will be revealed at the Awards Dinner.

The state and Canadian breeders of the year are:

Loudoun and Fauquier counties are considering conducting a joint study on the feasibility of having an equine quarantine facility at or near Dulles Airport, reports Loudon Business. The facility would act as a port of entry for horses coming to compete Great Meadow in The Plains, Loudoun Supervisor Janet S. Clarke told the publication. The study, if it’s approved, could take up to a year to conduct.

“This would substantially increase the viability of bringing international horses to world-class events in our region, as well as making it more attractive for international interests to work with breeders and trainers in our area,” said a report on the possible facility created for the Fauquier Board of Supervisors. “It is expected that such a project would help grow the equestrian industry in Virginia, would have the potential to increase equestrian-related tourism in the region and would benefit Dulles Airport by adding to traffic in horses and related goods.”

Want to read more? Check out the Loudon Business story here.

Lazy Lane Farm-bred horses scored a double over the weekend, kicked off with homebred Rapid Rhythm at Pimlico on Friday. The 3-year-old daughter of Successful Appeal won a Laurel Park allowance by a gutsy nose after a fierce duel in the straight. The Susan Cooney trainee broke her maiden in her debut in March, scoring by the better part of 2 lengths at Fairgrounds.

Strong Stipulation, now owned by West Point Thoroughbreds, put in an impressive allowance win at Delaware on Saturday, despite drifting in the stretch. The 4-year-old Lemon Drop Kid gelding was ticking off his second lifetime win in the 6-furlong contest, paying $9 to win. Strong Stipulation is trained by Graham Motion.

To watch the video, use the calendar to navigate to the 8th race on July 11 here.

Ruxton Farm’s Virginia stallion Fierce Wind lodged his first winner over the holiday weekend when Nellie Mae Cox and Concepts Unlimited Stable’s Frankin Storm broke his maiden by 1/2 lengths at Laurel. The 2-year-old bred by Susan Minor is out of the Storm Boot mare Stormy Heroine and was making his second start.

A son of Dixie Union, Fierce Wind was a multiple stakes winner for Minor Stables, lodging wins in the Challenger Stakes and the Sam F. Davis Stakes. He is out of the A.P. Indy Mare Post Parade. Click here to watch his victory in the Sam Davis.

Fierce Wind.

The Virginia Racing Commission met last week to discuss a number of items that have an impact on future of Virginia racing. Here’s what you need to know:

1. The VHBPA has been approved as the majority horsemen’s representative and the Virginia Equine Alliance has been designated as the industry stakeholder organization.

These were designations provided for under the recent legislative amendments and the Commission approved the groups’ requests yesterday. Both groups have been formally recognized for the next three years—meaning that the Alliance will not have to reapply for recognition until July 1, 2018.

In practical terms, this means that the VHBPA will continue to receive its 5 percent share of Virginia online wagering through TVG, XpressBet and Twin Spires and that the Alliance will begin to receive a 4 percent share of that wagering, which used to go to Colonial Downs.

2. The Commission approved five Virginia-bred stakes and four open graded stakes to be run at Laurel Park in 2015.

The major stakes races formerly held at Colonial Downs will likely move to Laurel Park during its fall meet, thanks to Commission approval. Following discussions with the Maryland Jockey Club’s Tim Ritvo, Sal Sinatra and Georganne Hale, the $60,000 Virginia-bred stakes will run Saturday, September 26th. The $250,000  Grade II Colonial Turf Cup and the $100,000 Grade III All Along will run on September 12th. The $400,000 Grade II Virginia Derby and the $150,000 Grade III Virginia Oaks will run on October 3rd.

The open graded will run under different names this year for copyright reasons—the Virginia Derby will become the Old Dominion Derby and the Virginia Oaks will become the Old Dominion Oaks—and will be presented by and branded through the Virginia Equine Alliance. Because of the configuration of the Maryland oval, there will also be some distance changes: The Old Dominion Derby—usually 1 1/4 miles—will be run at 1 ⅛ miles. The Colonial Turf Cup will be shortened from 1 3/16 miles to 1 ⅛ miles.

The proposal calls for the Maryland Horsemen to put up half of the total $900,000 graded stakes purse money and share wagering revenue generated by those races with the VHBPA. Next year, the races will return to Virginia—hopefully to be run at Morven Park.

There are some regulatory hurdles still to clear: The Maryland Jockey Club, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association and the Maryland Racing Commission all must sign off.

Grade I Santa Anita Oaks winner, the Virginia-bred Stellar Wind, returned victorious in the Grade II Summertime Oaks on Saturday. Kept three wide through the final turn, the daughter of Curlin edged out Tara’s Tango in the shadow of the wire in the 1 1/16-mile dirt test. The Keswick-bred miss is now three-for-three at Santa Anita.

Virginia-bred Stellar Wind wins the Grade I $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks April 4, 2015 at Santa Anita.

As for what’s next?

“I think we’d like to keep her on dirt for now,” owner Kosta Hronis said. “If we stay home here at Del Mar, we’d probably have to switch her over to the grass. If we keep her on dirt, we might go to Saratoga.”

Here’s the race: