(WOODSTOCK, VA — 10/01/2020) —- Shenandoah Downs will play host to eight divisional Virginia Breeder’s Championship races this Saturday October 3 with purses totaling $363,575. The eight will be run consecutively, kicking off a sixteen-race program which also features a pair of $7,000 Open Handicap Paces — one for colts/geldings and one for mares.
2019 Two-Year-Old Colt Pacing Champion Nvrfearlloydishere defends his title at the age of three against seven other sophomores in the $46,800 edition. The Rusty’s All In gelding has 13 wins from 17 career starts, good for a $111,020 bankroll. The Arlene Cameron trainee wired the field in last Saturday’s elimination in 1:56 4/5. He swept the recent Maryland Sire Stakes at Ocean Downs, capturing both preps, then the $45,000 final in 1:55 3/5. Eddie Davis Jr. will direct from the rail for owner Pam Wagner. Caviart Sage, third in last year’s freshman final, won the other elimination by a nose over K J Michael in 1:56 3/5.
William Fletcher’s Breeze Away B won the Filly Pacing title last year, captured her elimination on Saturday and brings a $51,061 bankroll into the $43,400 sophomore test. The Nuclear Breeze filly wired the field last week in 1:56.0. After sweeping both Maryland Sire Stakes preps at Ocean Downs last month, she broke stride in the final as a heavy favorite. Allan Davis will drive the pacer from post four in the five-horse field. Elim runner-up Hillbilly Kisses is 4-for-8 this year and has the highest 2020 earnings of any in the field with $32,128.
The $46,200 Three-Year-Old Colt Trot features a full field of eight including a trio of Jane Dunavant entrants that are all by Dusty Winner — ’19 champ Chauffer, ’19 runner-up Air Time and Riddle Me This. The three are all trained by Carol Poliseno and the first two have accumulated six figure bankrolls. Chauffer has $114,365 to his credit and Air Time, who wired the field in the elimination, has earned $119,849. Poliseno will drive the former and Art Stafford will pilot the latter.
Cate’s A Keeper was 6-for-9 last year including a Virginia Breeder’s title in the Two-Year-Old Filly Trot. She will be favored to repeat in the $43,800 finale Saturday against a field that includes 2019 runner-up Two Itchy. Co-owned by Scott Woogen and Pam Wagner and trained by Arleen Cameron, the Lockkeeper filly finished in a dead heat with stablemate K J Deb in last week’s prelim. She will leave from post four with Eddie Davis Jr. in the bike.
Two-year-old competition is highlighted by the $46,295 Two-Year-Old Colt Pace. Caviart Farms’ Caviart Skipper won his prep last week by four lengths in 2:00 4/5. The Betting Line colt is trained by Marna Shehan and will be driven by Tyler Shehan. Elwood Tignor’s Whep broke stride in last week’s prep but captured the $45,000 Maryland Final at Ocean Downs the week prior.
Pam Wagner’s Madisonsallin powered to an eight-length triumph in last week’s Filly Pace prep. Eddie Davis Jr. piloted the daughter of Rusty’s All In to a 1:59 3/5 clocking. She is trained by Arlene Cameron, who has three others in the $45,475 final.
The Wager/Cameron duo team up again in the $45,775 Colt Trot with Trents A Lock, who has been impressive in his five starts. The Lockkeeper gelding has three wins and two seconds, good for earnings of $35,463. He prevailed in last week’s elimination and in the Maryland Sire Stake final September 18. Tracy Bradshaw’s J Stihl finished second in the Shenandoah prep, just one length behind Trents A Lock.
Driver Montrell Teague will make his first appearance ever in Woodstock when he pilots John and Sarah Swart’s Pride Of Windswept in the $45,300 Filly Trot. The Charlie De Vie filly has three wins and a runner up finish from four starts and has bankrolled $28,325. She most recently won the $45,000 Maryland Sire Stake final at Ocean Downs in 2:01 1/5. The Shaun Callahan trainee will depart from the rail. Arthur Hauser’s Ollie El was best in the Shenandoah prep a week ago.
Even though spectators are not allowed at the track this year due to Covid-19, live streaming is available at shenandoahdowns.com.
