John’s Dream captured the $20,000 Virginia Breeders Fund aged male pace at Shenandoah Downs Saturday (May 2) – one of four Breeders race divisions on the program – and reached the winner’s circle for the 35th time in Virginia. The 13-year-old Dream Away gelding won his 56th race overall, which pushed his career earnings to $427,692.
Author: by Darrell Wood, for Shenandoah Downs
Bettors Donttell grabs Open Pace at Tioga
Bettors Donttell (Ridge Warren) captured the $14,000 featured Open Pace at Tioga Downs on Sunday (May 3) as third choice in a scratch-shortened field of four.
Star-studded Monday opens Oak Grove Festival of Racing
Less than 48 hours after Golden Tempo won the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby, 3-year-old Standardbreds will take center stage on Monday (May 4) when a trio of eliminations each for the Oak Grove Trotting Derby and Oak Grove Trotting Oaks headline a blockbuster 15-race harness racing program at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel, which opens the fortnight-long Oak Grove Festival of Racing.
Stablemates Carbine, I Did It Myway take MVG Opens
Stablemates Carbine and I Did It Myway took two of the three opens at Miami Valley on Sunday afternoon (April 26) for trainer Virgil Morgan Jr.
Seminole Breeze edges Kalispel in Virginia Sire Stake weekend
Lisa Martin and Kathy Schoeffel’s Seminole Breeze captured Saturday’s (April 25) $100,000 Virginia Sire Stake three-year-old colt trot at Shenandoah Downs and turned the tables on 2025’s two-year-old champ Kalispel – as the pair reversed finishing order as sophomores.
Heaven Needs Me in Philly feature; Bongiorno stays hot
The Captain Midnight gelding Heaven Needs Me did something on Sunday (April 26) that few other winners at Harrah’s Philadelphia do – he came from dead last to take the $13,500 featured pace for developing horses in 1:52.4.
Yo Tillie heads Kentucky Sire Stakes opener
Breeders Crown and Dan Patch Award winner Yo Tillie is slated to make her 4-year-old debut on Monday (April 27) at Oak Grove Racing, Gaming & Hotel in one of seven $50,000 first-round Kentucky Sire Stakes (KYSS) events on the 14-race program.
Oakwood Heymiki IR narrowly wins MVG Open
Oakwood Heymiki IR returned to the winner’s circle Sunday afternoon (April 19), narrowly taking the featured $36,000 Miami Valley Open Handicap.
Heaven Needs Me successful on Sunday at Philly
Heaven Needs Me, second in his first start of the year against the good Another C Note, went one better in the $13,500 featured pace at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon (April 19), rallying off cover on a track not known for being kind to closers to win in 1:53.1. He stepped his own last half in :56.1 on a day when the temperatures plummeted (again) and did not reach 50 degrees.
Lou’s Starr sets Shenandoah Downs record
Dan Chansky’s Lou’s Starr won the Open Handicap division at Shenandoah Downs for the second straight week — and set another track record in doing so — as the Woodstock oval completed weekend number two of action. The seven-week spring season continues every Saturday and Sunday afternoon through May 24.