Fields for the 27th annual Virginia Breeder's Championships are set for this Sunday October 27th at Shenandoah Downs and will help usher out the fall racing season in Woodstock. Eight divisional championships featuring 2 and 3-year-old pacers and trotters of both sexes will be carded on the front end of the 14-race card and run consecutively as races 1 thru 8 beginning at 1:05 PM. Combined purse money for the eight is $720,625. An additional six races will follow -- including five Virginia Breeders Aged races worth $20,000 each -- bringing the afternoon's purse distribution to a record $830,625.
Kelsey Wagner's Brooksforreal set a new track record for 2-year-old gelding pacers in his October 13th Breeder's elimination win, then shaved nearly two seconds off that mark in last Sunday's elimination with a 1:54 1/5 effort. The Rusty's For Real gelding leads a field of eight in Sunday's $90,975 final for freshmen colt & gelding pacers. Corey Braden will drive for trainer John Wagner. Overshadowed a bit in this division is W. Hartt, H. Taylor, B. Dillon and J. Dumberger's Paxamillion, who snagged a first leg score in 1:56 3/5 then when facing Brooksforreal last week in the second leg, had a solid runner-up finish crossing just 1¾ lengths behind. Luke Hanners will drive for trainer Britney Dillon.
Kelsey Wagner's Swervingmervin authored a track record last week as well in the 2-year-old colt/gelding trot category and leads a field of eight in the $92,175 final. The John Wagner trainee wired the field in 1:58 4/5 and crossed 1¾ lengths the best over Scott Woogen's Mane Man Charlie who scored a first leg elimination in 2:03 4/5 -- over Swervingmervin. The record holder will be piloted by Corey Braden while the latter will get the services of leading driver Fern Paquet, Jr. for trainer Gary Messenger.
Caviart Farms' Caviart Glory thumped the field in the 2-year-old filly trot's first leg, wiring the field by 20 lengths while setting a new track record in that division. The Greenshoe filly crossed in 1:59 4/5 and after cementing her spot in the final, took a pass on the second elimination a week ago. Trainer Philip Scott Sonsteby will be in the sulky in Sunday's $94,500 final from outside post eight. Other divisional winners include Jane Dunavant's Kat's Fancy and Song Master and Scott Woogen's KJ Breeze.
Four different freshman filly pacers won elimination races the past two weekends including Elwood Tignor's Mygirlmia, whose 1:57 1/5 clocking was fastest of the four. William Carter's Alexandria's Dream and Elwood Tignor & Deborah Mulligan's Toys Little Tinker -- who each have seven combined first and second place finishes this year -- recorded winning elimination miles of 1:57 4/5 and 1:58 4/5. The latter has bankrolled $60,500, highest figure of any entrant in the field. Dr. Edward Ward's Caviart Acadia collected the other elimination victory in 1:58 1/5.
All four divisional champions from the 2023 class return as 3-year-olds with hopes of defending their titles -- though none reached the winners circle in their respective eliminations.
Kelsey Wagner & Scott Woogen's K J Dash brings a field best bankroll of $221,011 into the $86,000 3-Year-Old Colt/Gelding Trot final. The Lockkeeper gelding is fresh off a pair of runner-up finishes in the eliminations. Debbie Warnick's Royal Beep Beep authored the fastest elimination win in 2:00 4/5. Other winners were Kelsey Wagner's Geralds A Keeper, who is 8-for-10 in 2024, Jane Dunavant's Pretty Two and Dein Spriggs & Barbara Murphy's Caviart Grady.
Anne McDonald's Sweet Pirategirl has fared similarly. Last year's 2-year-old filly pacing champ has a second and third in 3-year-old Breeder's elimination races but is fresh off a dominant conditioned race win October 13. Caviart Farm's Caviart Sophie has a pair of series wins including one in 1:54 1/5. Those two and five other entrants will battle in the $87,600 final on Sunday.
Kelsey Wagner's 2023 2-year-old colt/gelding champ Pete's For Real has a second and third in 2024 eliminations and his $101,682 bankroll tops the field. With only seven in this division, the first two weeks served as prep races -- which were won by Tracy Bradshaw's Bgoing Away (1:56 4/5) and Lawrence Cooper's Caviart Simon (1:55 2/5). The $84,400 final has been carded as the sixth race.
Last year's 2-Year-Old Filly Trotting champ Rip Away enters the sophomore title bout with a pair of runner-up finishes from her eliminations. The Dusty Winner filly is one of two in the $90,000 final that sport a six figure bankroll. Thr other, Nanticoke Racing and Delbert Cain's Platinum Proposal, won both her eliminations with Jim Morand in the bike. The Les Givens trainee has career earnings of $185,931. Other preliminary leg winners were Marna Shehan's Speedy Town and Howard & Linda Dege's Royal Robin.
Sunday's Breeders' Championship card will close out Shenandoah Downs' final weekend of the fall race meet. A 14-race card is scheduled Saturday as well beginning at 1:05 PM.
-edited release (Shenandoah Downs)