by Kimberly French, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Kimberly French

Louisville, KY — When he dead-heated for third with Foreclosure N, directly behind Jug victor Big Bad John and Meadowlands Pace winner Roll With Joe in his elimination for last year’s North America Cup, his conditioner thought Dutch Richman really had an opportunity to pick up a nice, fat check in the final, but instead of cashing in, the trip possibly compromised the rest of his earning ability for the season.

“He was so sharp early in the year and he just got beat up,” said Erv Miller, the gelding’s conditioner and co-owner. “They were going so much, he got stretched out a bit and didn’t fit in as well as I thought he might going into the race. It took us this long to really get him back.”

Miller, Leland Mathias, and Harvey Eisman purchased the son of Richess Hanover-Fox Valley Estella for $15,000 at the 2009 Walker Standardbred Sale as a yearling.

Timothy M. Jones photo

Dutch Richman banked $125,795 as a freshman in 2010.

Dutch Richman captured his first career start on August 17, 2010, in a $1,500 race at the Illinois State Fair and was second in his next on-track appearance on August 28 at Balmoral Park in a $4,000 event. His next trip to the post was a victory in his $12,000 Orange and Blue elimination, also at Balmoral Park on September 11, and he likewise triumphed in the $265,000 final on September 18.

He earned $125,795 in his first season of racing and established his lifetime mark of 1:51.2 in the Orange and Blue elimination.

The gelding kicked off his sophomore season with a win in a $3,400 non-winners race at Balmoral on May 14, came home second under similar conditions the following week and then captured his $7,000 Cardinal Stakes elimination on May 28 before dominating the $54,500 final on June 4.

Dutch Richman then traveled to Mohawk for his third place dead heat finish on June 11 and struggled home last of 10 in the $1.53 million final on June 18.

He spent the rest of his 3-year-old campaign in the Midwest where he won a $27,050 Hanover Colt Stakes division on July 16 at Balmoral Park, the $7,000 elimination and $61,500 final of the Incredible Finale Stake at the same venue, the $15,000 elimination for the Pete Langley on September 10 and a $12,500 race at Indiana Downs on October 1.

He did compete in the the $275,500 Monument Circle at Indiana Downs on Nov. 5 (eighth), the $225,000 American-National at Balmoral on Nov. 12 (seventh) and ended his year with another seventh in the $175,000 Windy City Pace at Maywood Park on Nov. 18.

Balmoral Park photo

Dutch Richman lowered his mark to 1:50 in capturing his $27,050 Hanover Colt Stakes division at Balmoral Park.

During his two-year career, Dutch Richman has banked $261,551, sports a record of 25-11-4-3 and possesses a lifetime mark of 1:50 that he paced as a sophomore.

“He had a really good 2-year-old year,” Miller explained. “Actually when we started racing him I was on the verge of turning him out, because he was a big immature horse and we could see the talent that was there. We didn’t want to hurt him, but instead we kept going with him and he kept getting better and better. He exceeded our expectations and surprised us when he showed us that much speed.”

Before the gelding ever put his nose on the gate, Miller selected his younger half-brother, Zall Good, from the same sale for $11,000 on behalf of Mary Jane Anderson. This colt, by Yankee Skyscaper, has a record of 7-5-0-1, amassed $126,623 and like his older sibling, had his picture taken in the Orange and Blue final.

Although Fox Valley Estella only cleared $23,963 during her racing career, the daughter of Sportsmaster-Fox Valley Duchess has been a boon in the broodmare shed. Owned by James and Tracey Walker, all of the mare’s first five foals (the sixth, Coup de Gras, an unraced 2-year-old full brother to Zall Good) have raced and won, with Dutch Richman being her top earner to date.

“I think two or three days before Dutch Richman raced I bought Zall Good, because I knew what kind of horse I had in him,” Miller remembered. “I only paid $11,000 for him and I had followed the family.

“Both of them are big, tall horses, but Zall Good has a lot more substance to him,” he continued. “Dutch Richman was never a very thick horse, but they are both leggy.”

Dutch Richman launched his 4-year-old campaign on May 3 with a fourth place finish in a qualifying race at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, but his connections are not exactly sure if he will remain there to compete in pari-mutuel races.

“We are going to qualify him back this week and it depends on how he does and where he fits,” Miller explained. “Pocono is such a nice track for a horse, so if he fits, we will probably keep him up there. Then we will go back to the Midwest and race between Balmoral and Hoosier for most of the year. He’s a real nice horse and easy to get along with.”