We wrote a few weeks ago about the horse Bernardini winning the Preakness Stakes. Bernardini is owned and was bred by Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Well, rack up another win for Dubai.

Maktoum did it again Saturday by winning the Belmont States with Jazil.

The UAE may not be in charge of our ports, but it sure is shaping up that they’re getting control of our horse racing.

Debbie Schlussel pointed out recently that:

In horse-racing apartheid, Israelis who own horses (yes, there is a small Israeli thoroughbred horse industry) cannot race horses in the many races held in Dubai. They are not allowed into the country (and neither are their horses).

Time to apply a foreign-ownership standard of fairness to the horse racing industry, too?  Time to demand that Dubai end its boycott of Israel before allowing more of their horses in America?

So much of the controversy over a Dubai company running America’s ports was debated in Baltimore, home of a busy industrial port.  So imagine the cruel irony when the horse Bernardini won the Preakness Stakes race Saturday at Baltimore’s beloved Pimlico Race Course.  Bernardini is owned and was bred by Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

But wait, there’s more.  Dubai-based Emirates Airline sponsored the $200,000 Maryland Breeders’ Cup Sprint Handicap on the Preakness Stakes undercard Saturday at Pimlico.  Check out this quote in Thoroughbred Times by Nigel Page, Emirates senior vice president of commercial operations, the Americas: “Emirates is excited to be a sponsor of the Maryland Breeders’ Cup Sprint Handicap at the Preakness Stakes.  Horse racing gives us the opportunity to share in the interests of our passengers as Emirates further establishes its presence in the American market.”

Which offers the perfect opening to remember that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the great movie “Network” — featuring Ned Beatty as CEO of the parent company of the fictional television network UBS.  Beatty’s character, Arthur Jensen, willingly embraces the Saudis owning a huge part of his company.  Jensen’s reason: America sends so much of its money to the Arabs, it’s time to get some back.

That 30-year-old argument paid off handsomely for some lucky souls at the track Saturday in Baltimore. 

Speaking on “Fox News Sunday” about the UAE/ports controversy, Joe Biden said: “The fact of the matter is that there are some people — I’m sure this is anti-Arab bashing.”

Perhaps he had in mind New York Post columnist Cindy Adams, who wrote:

“Those clever dudes from Dubai may not only change the composition of America’s harbors and ports but, next up, America’s poetry. Soon it’ll be: By the shores of Gitche Gumee, by the shining big sea water - stands an Arab. … But the United Arab Emirates, doorkeepers to the United States of America? Think a hungry Persian cat at the entrance to a mouse hole. Some say this has the aroma of a garbage truck stalled on a street in August. I, naturally, wouldn’t say that. I am too diplomatic to risk angering…”