Virginia Breeders elimination races for 3-year-old pacers and trotters kicked off this weekend at Shenandoah Downs, the first time the series has ever been held in spring. Trotters took center stage Saturday while pacers battled Sunday in gorgeous spring weather conditions.
Fastest mile Sunday was authored by Jane Dunavant’s Proper Lady in the $8,000 Filly Pace’s first division in 1:54 4/5. The wire-to-wire effort was led by driver Cody Poliseno who helped shave 1-3/5ths seconds off the Proper Respect filly’s prior best time. The Carlo Poliseno trainee won her third career race. Dr. Edward Ward’s Caviart Acadia finished second and William Carter’s Alexandria’s Dream took third.
Elwood Tignor & Debbie Mulligan’s Toys Little Tinker prevailed in the second Filly Pace division in 1:55.0 after passing Virginia Breeder’s 2-year-old champion KJ Becky in the stretch. The daughter of Rusty’s For Real entered the race with a field-high bankroll of $71,700 and was guided smartly to victory by William Carter, who left to compete in Ocean Downs’ opening night card immediately after the victory. Scott Woogen’s KJ Becky finished second, one length back, and Jeffery Derue’s Caviart Lyra took third.
Trainer Britney Dillon’s Paxamillion dominated in the Colt/Gelding Pace, wiring the field in 1:55.0 and crossing 6-1/4 lengths the best. The Sweet Lou gelding was sent off as the 1-9 betting favorite and triggered fractions of :28 1/5, :57 4/5 and 1:26.0. The winner was driven by Tyler Shehan and has now finished first, second or third in ten of his last 12 races. Rachel & Richard Haven’s Choices Honor finished second and Edward Ward’s Caviart Shetland took third.
Trainer Stacy McLenaghan’s Brooksforreal won his 12th straight race in wire-to-wire fashion though he had to fend off a pesky Caviart Cash at the finish. The heavily favored Rusty’s For Real gelding maintained a 1-1/4 length cushion over the second-place finisher throughout the mile but driver Archie Buford nearly urged Caviart Cash to an upset falling one-quarter length shy. Brooksforreal, who now sports a bankroll of $232,008, crossed in 1:56 2/5 with Fern Paquet Jr. in the bike. Caviart Cash is owned by Scott Woogen and Brenda Messenger. Tracy Bradshaw’s Mr. Big Check finished third.
In Breeder’s action Saturday, Scott Woogen’s K J Title passed stablemate K J The Thirteenth in the final turn and powered home to a 1-3/4 length triumph in the first Filly Trot division. The daughter of El Titan crossed in 1:58 3/5 with Eric Davis in the sulky. K J The Thirteenth stayed the course to gain second while Jane Dunavant’s Songmaster was third.
Caviart Farms’ Caviart Glory conducted an almost identical prep to the one she participated in last year as freshman, throttling the field by nearly 20 lengths. The Greenshoe filly won by a 20-3/4 length margin last fall. Trainer/driver Philip Scott Sonsteby led the winning effort again — which mirrored the 1:59 4/5 clocking she authored in her 2-year-old prep. Leon Harris’s Twin Springs Mari was second and Jane Dunavant’s Peggys Girl finished third.
The Colt/Gelding Trot had one division, serving as a prep versus an elimination, and was won by Cary Grady’s HS Jesse in 2:00 1/5. The Gregory Pecs gelding finished second in both of last year’s Breeder’s eliminations but broke stride in the $92,175 final. On Saturday, driver/trainer Jospeh Carroll took care of business in a gate-to-wire manner and got the best of runner-up Swervingmervin — the 2024 champ — by one-half length. Scott Woogen’s Mane Man Charlie finished third.
A second round of Breeder’s elimination and prep races continue next weekend at Shenandoah Downs with $90,000 (est.) finals slated for closing weekend on June 7 & 8.
