Shenandoah Downs closes out its 2025 spring meet with a pair of 12-race cards this weekend highlighted by a 4-pack of Virginia Breeder’s 3-Year-Old Championship bouts and a tight race for top trainer honors that should go right down to the wire. Post time is 3:05 PM Saturday and 1:05 PM on Sunday.
Cary Grady’s HS Jesse and Scott Woogen’s Mane Man Charlie each won $8,000 elimination legs in the Colt/Gelding Trot and will clash in the $86,600 finale which kicks off Saturday’s card. The former wired the field in 2:00 1/5 on May 24 while the later got revenge in a 2:01 4/5 wire-to-wire effort last Saturday. Joe Carroll and Fern Paquet Jr. will drive respectively.
The tenth race Saturday features a full field of eight in the $89,600 3-Year-Old Filly Trot led by 2-year-old champ Caviart Glory who captured her lone elimination with a dominating 19-length win in 1:59 4/5. The lightly raced Greenshoe filly will be making just her tenth lifetime start and is a perfect 3-for-3 in Woodstock. Other division winners in the final include Jane Dunavant’s Peggys Girl (2:04.0) and a pair of Scott Woogen’s sophomores — K J Title and second early choice K J The Thirteenth (1:58 3/5). The latter boasts a field-high bankroll of $167,844.
Trainer Britney Dillon’s Paxamillion cruised to impressive 5-1/2 and 6-1/4 length elimination leg triumphs and is the early favorite in Sunday’s $87,200 Colt/Gelding Pace despite leaving from outside post seven. The Sweet Lou gelding gets the services of driver Tyler Shehan for the third straight week. Trainer Gary Messenger’s Caviart Cash was consistent in both his divisional races, winning June 1 by half a length and finishing second May 25 — just a half length off the pace. Leadng driver Fern Paquet Jr. will lead the Captain Crunch gelding from post five.
Eight filly pacers will battle in the $91,100 divisional final which has been carded as Race 10 Sunday. Fastest of the four preliminary leg miles belonged to Jane Dunavant’s Proper Lady who authored a 1:54 4/5 effort May 25. Cody Poliseno will pilot again for trainer Carlo Poliseno. Elwood Tignor & Debbie Mulligan’s Toys Little Tinker was one tick of the clock off Proper Lady’s mark, completing a 1:55.0 mile on May 25. Other winners were Lawrence Cooper’s Caviart Rose (1:57 2/5) and Scott Woogen’s KJ Becky (1:59 2/5).
Another 4-pack of $20,000 Virginia Breeder’s races for aged trotters (Saturday) and pacers (Sunday) will complement sophomore stakes competition both days.
The race for top trainer should be enticing with Bryson Dunning leading the way with 12 followed closely by Archie Buford with 11 and Steve Wetzel with 10. Dunning is heavily represented on closing weekend with 13 horses in to go. Buford has 9 in and Wetzel has 6.
