Virginia Breeder’s Championship Race Slate Ushers Out the 2018 Shenandoah Downs Harness Season In Woodstock

Trainer/driver Mark Gray had two Virginia Breeder’s Championship wins, and 2017 two-year-old divisional champs Lemonaideshine and Freddie K retained their titles as three-year-olds Sunday as the $347,000 eight race championship slate brought the Shenandoah Downs season to an end. Two and three-year-old divisional titles were decided among pacers and trotters of both sexes in the 21st edition of the Series.

Gray’s Great Am I and Flaming Trix captured the $42,725 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot and $43,950 Two-Year-Old Filly Trot respectively. The former wired the field and held off a pesky Psycho in 2:03 2/5 while the latter took the lead just past the half and in a thriller, fended off  Zsa Zsa Dabor by just a neck in 2:08 3/5. Both trotters won their prep legs in easier fashion this past Monday, by 4 1/2 and 2 1/4 lengths. The pair are both owned by Anne McDonald of Alexandria.

Lemonaideshine won for the 11th time in 13 races, and all have been contested in Woodstock.

Lemonaideshine is a Badlands Hanover gelding that has thrived in Woodstock the past two years. The Jimmy Viars trainee has finished no worse than second in twelve lifetime starts, all at either Shenandoah Downs or the County Fair meet that precedes it. He wired the $44,200 Three-Year-Old Colt Pace field Sunday and finished just one-half length ahead of Gray’s Rocknroll Ace in 1:57 2/5. Chuck Perry, who won the season’s driving title, directed Lemonaideshone to his seventh win of the year in just nine starts.

Freddie K captured the 2018 Virginia Breeder’s 3-Year-Old Colt Trot. Driver Frank Milby is shown trying to keep his champ in the winner’s circle.

Freddie K, who won his prep race in wire-to-wire fashion, mimicked that effort in Sunday’s $43,600 Two-Year-Old Colt Trot but did it in a more dominating style. The Three-Year-Old Dusty Winner gelding maintained a four length cushion throughout most of the second half, opened up by six at the top of the stretch and crossed by that same margin in 2:04 3/5. Frank Milby guided the effort for trainer Carlo Poliseno and owner Charlie Dunavant.

In other sophomore action, Shez In Orbit won the $44,600 Filly Trot and gave reinsman Perry his second win on Breeder’s Day. The Renfrow Hauser trainee wired the field in 2:02 3/5 and won comfortably by 3 1/2 over Half Moon Rising. Baddabingbaddabang cruised by the same margin of victory in the $43,400 Filly Pace.  The daughter of Strong Player came home in a final quarter of :28 1/5 en route to a 1:58.0 finishing time. Chris Shaw drove for trainer Jeff Nisonger and owner Daniel Chanskey of Keysville.

On Saturday’s Autumnfest card, an auxiliary betting station was set up in the festival area.

In the other freshman races, Hillbilly Camtastic handily beat stablemate Hillbilly Treasure in the $41,875 Filly Pace. Trainer Amanda Jackson’s pair finished one-two in the prep race a week prior and both were making just their second lifetime starts. Frank Milby drove the winner home in 2:06 1/5. Sketcher edged Rusty’s Houdini in the $43,550 Colt Pace, the day’s most exciting race. Reinsman Billy Carter led Sketcher to the front initially and  nearly got a coast-to-coast journey. Driver Jason Thompson’ runner-up challenged outside on several occasions and even took the lead briefly at the third fraction but ultimately came up just shy to Sketcher. This was the only championship event not won by the prep race winner; the two flip flopped finishing order a week prior. Sketcher crossed in 2:00 1/5.

Arlene Cameron’s Speed It captured the $8500 Open Trot October 13th.

In Saturday’s action, Speed It and John’s Dream captured respective $8500 open trot and pace co-features. Arlene Cameron’s Speed It shipped in from Harrah’s Philadelphia and wired a field that included former open winners Southwind Ferrari and Held In Balance. John Wagner was in the sulky for the public’s betting choice and did not disappoint, winning by 2 1/2 over Stormont Dundas in 1:59.0.

Fan favorite and track record holder John’s Dream won his fourth open pace of the season but had to come from behind to complete the task. The five-year-old Dream Away gelding was last at the half and fifth at the third marker among six competing. Driver Chuck Perry led a surge outside in the final turn and crossed one length the best over Bobby The Greek in 1:55 3/5.

A large crowd came put Saturday of closing weekend for the Autumnfest celebration.

End of the season awards were presented closing weekend. Chuck Perry won the driving title with 26 victories over the twelve day meet. Marna Shehan’s eleven wins were tops among trainers in a tightly contested race. Arlene Cameron was second with ten while Roger Hammer and Jimmy Viars tied for third with nine each. Horse of the Meet honors went to Shehan’s Peppermint Candy, a five-year-old gray mare who won all three of her Woodstock starts this fall. On Saturday, a pair of 14-year-olds were brought into the winners circle for a retirement celebration. Go Easy On Me and B Blissfiul, the winningest horse ever at Shenandoah Downs, were recognized by an appreciative crowd. They were both rewarded with a large bag of carrots from Virginia Racing Commissioner Clint Miller.