The Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA), which added a lucrative Sire Stakes initiative to their portfolio of incentive programs in 2022, announced that 15 stallions will be standing in the state for the 2026 breeding season.
Author: by Darrell Wood, for Shenandoah Downs
Talented fields head Pocono season opener
Pocono Downs at Mohegan Pennsylvania starts off its 2026 season with a 1 p.m. program on Saturday (Feb. 14), and it is as solid a racing card as may have been presented during any of the previous 60 Pocono season openers.
Miami Valley cancels qualifiers
Due to snow forecast for Friday morning (Feb. 6), Miami Valley is canceling this week’s qualifiers.
Downers Delight wins down the road at Dover
Downers Delight made every pole a winning one and captured the Open Handicap Pace at Bally’s Dover on Thursday night (Feb. 5).
Wrenn reaches 9,000-win plateau
Ronnie Wrenn Jr. reached a milestone at Hollywood Casino at The Meadows on Thursday afternoon (Feb. 5), making it to the winners circle for the 9,000th time in his driving career.
Beckwith wins five, sweeps series finals in Batavia closer
Brett Beckwith, currently the third winningest driver in North America for 2026, substantially added to his victory total on Thursday (Feb. 5) at Batavia Downs after winning five races on the program.
February Hoof Beats: Driver & Trainer Report
The February issue of Hoof Beats is the magazine’s annual Driver & Trainer Report, highlighting the top horsepeople in North America and celebrating their accomplishments in 2025.
Hoof Beats: Apex Performance
From the time he was a teenager, Marcus Melander was focused on a career in harness racing. Growing up in Sweden, he raced ponies until he was 16 years old, at which point he left school to work for his uncle, Hambletonian winner and future Swedish Trotting Hall of Famer Stefan Melander, and began to make his own name in the sport.
Hoof Beats: Perspective, Progress and Participation
aving turned the calendar to 2026, it feels like an appropriate moment to take a breath, look back at where we’ve been, and talk honestly about where we’re headed. To begin with, in racing, we know skepticism comes with the territory. We question initiatives. We question new ideas. Sometimes, we even question the intent.
Tulsa Bell wins third straight in Batavia series final
The $13,000 final of the Batavia Downs Winter Series trot was held Tuesday (Feb. 3), and Tulsa Bell kept her winning streak alive as she took the title in fine fashion.