Roger Hammer’s Battin Athousand captured his 23rd career victory in Shenandoah Downs’ $8,000 featured race Sunday as the Woodstock oval continued its “10 Years of Pari-Mutuel Racing” campaign.
The 5-year-old Fordham Road horse trotted fourth through the half as Charles & Rose Robbins’ Terry’s Watching controlled the field early, cutting fractions of :28.0 and :57 2/5. Hammer, who was in the sulky, gained the lead coming out of the third turn and held off a stubborn Blue Bayou Deo the rest of the way, crossing three-quarters of a length the best in 1:57 3/5 as the betting favorite. Blue Bayou Deo was runner-up and DW’s Revenge took third.
Battin Athousand pushed his lifetime earnings to $225,655 in collecting his second win of the year. Hammer, who is based in Beford, Pennsylvania and ships in on race days, has four wins over the first two weekends of action. He scored Saturday with Andy B Worthy and on opening weekend with Maker Dance and Cirrus de Vie.
Fastest race of the weekend was a 1:54 2/5 mile authored by Chuck Perry’s The Lizard in Saturday’s $5,000 conditioned pace. The 3-year-old Lazarus colt went gate-to-wire in just his sixth lifetime start. Perry, who also trains and drives the pacer, led The Lizard to a 1:53 3/5 triumph — at Rosecroft — in his previous start April 21.
Virginia-bred Hillbilly Kisses prevailed for the second straight weekend, shaving over two seconds off opening day’s 1:57 2 mile. The 8-year-old Charles Myers trainee wired the field again Sunday with Lucas Myers in the bike, this time in 1:55 1/5. Now with 32 wins, the 8-year-old Rusty’s For Real mare is within $7,000 of the $300,000 mark in career earnings.
Shenandoah Downs continues its seven-week spring campaign next Saturday and Sunday, May 10 & 11. Entries for both days are due by Wednesday at 9 AM and purses in many classes will see a 10-percent increase compared with the first two weeks. On Saturday, the track has a beverage tumbler giveaway that recognizes the top 10 Shenandoah drivers of all time and on Sunday, a special Mother’s Day edition of the VHHA’s “Own a Horse for a Day” promotion will take place and is open to Moms in attendance.
Previous “Own a Horse” promotional winners Steve Wetzel and Barry Shrum, both based locally near Woodstock, won races over the weekend as actual horse owners. Wetzel’s Defriended kicked off Saturday’s program with her 14th career win while Shrum’s Pacific Stride captured win number 21 in Sunday’s finale.
