The 100th year of harness racing at the Shenandoah County Fair in Woodstock, Virginia kicks off Wednesday (August 30th) with an eight race card beginning at 1 PM.
The first two races are for two year olds — pacers in the first then trotters in the second. The fields for races 3 thru 5 will return later in the card and race a second heat as races 6 thru 8. Hot Rod Pete, (shown here) trained by Betsy Brown and driven by Chief Robbins, departs from the rail in the third.
Big money earners Tug River Man and P L Dragon will compete in the fifth and sixth races respectively. The former, a 13 year old gelding, has 271 career starts while the latter, a 10 year old, has 281 outings. Entries are available at www.ustrotting.com. The four day Fair meet continues Thursday thru Saturday at 1 PM.
The actual pari-mutuel meet, called Shenandoah Downs, begins September 16th and continues through October 15th. Racing will take place every Saturday and Sunday at 1 PM. Admission is free during the fall season.
Opening day features four Virginia Breeder’s races for two year olds worth $40,000 apiece. There is also a “Hooves ‘n Hops” Festival featuring craft beer samples and chili. Tickets are the festival are at shenandoahdowns.com or at the gate September 16th. Betting is also available on the races — win, place, show, exacta and trifecta bets can be placed with a teller or via a self bet terminal.
