Woodstock, VA – Frank Chick’s Caviart Daisy established a new track record in the 3-year-old filly pacing category Sunday (May 10) with a dominating 1:53.1 effort as Virginia Breeder’s Fund elimination weekend competition continued at Shenandoah Downs.
The Sweet Lou filly powered away to a three-length lead after the start and cut panels of :28, :56.2 and 1:25 before carrying a six-length lead into the top of the stretch. The Jamie Sullivan trainee crossed eight lengths the best and added to the $217,360 career bankroll she had entering the race. Tony Morgan guided the winner to victory. The previous divisional record holder was Caviart Sophie, who set her 1:54.1 mark in 2024.
Julie Collins’ Caviart Santa Fe finished send and Jason Walters’ Fools Journey took third.
Hagerman Racing’s More Than Better wired the field in the other Breeders filly division in 1:56.3. The More The Better N filly’s margin throughout wasn’t as robust as Caviart Daisy’s but she got the job done in panels of :29.1, :59.4 and 1:29.1. She finished one-half length ahead of Ron Millman’s runner-up Meemaw’s Column. Debbie Warnick’s Watch Sparks Fly finished third.
Dr. Edward Ward’s Caviart Sheridan and William Hartt’s Caviart Cadet won respective Breeders divisions in the colt/gelding category. The former won by 2-1/2 lengths in 1:55.1 courtesy of a coast-to-coast trip authored by driver Nick Roland. The Tracy Bradshaw trainee won his third lifetime race in a career best time. Calin Savage and Pennie Savage’s Savage Warrior finished second while Lawrence Cooper’s Caviart Hartley was third.
The latter’s trip mirrored that of Caviart Sheridan — a front stepping route as the 1-9 favorite with Tony Morgan in the sulky. The Tall Dark Stranger gelding’s time of 1:58.2 was triggered as unexpected rain moved into the area. The Britney Dillon trainee finished second in the 2025 Breeder’s final as a 2-year-old behind Caviart Trenton — who was second in Sunday’s elimination. The runner-up is owned by Ramna Gillespie. Jamie Bozman’s Caviart Harper was third.
Breeders’ weekend action kicked off Saturday (May 9) as Scott Betts’s Cindy Lou Goo captured the fastest of four sophomore trot elimination races, covering the mile in 1:59.2. The Googoo Gaagaa gelding stuck a nose in front of Joyce Lineweaver’s front-stepping Punchin Preacher just past the quarter fraction and never looked back, crossing in 1:59.2. Russell Foster piloted the winner for co-owners Tim Betts and Shanamphilankilou, Inc.
Bob McKim’s Kalispel took the other sophomore male trot, wiring the field of eight in 2:01. The son of Gregory Pecs was fresh off a second-place finish in a $100,000 Virginia Sire Stake final two weeks ago. On Saturday, he held off a pesky Ahtohallan in the final quarter to win by one-half length with 21-year-old driver Koltin Noble in the bike. Kalispel won for the seventh time in 10 starts and pushed his earnings to $88,504.
Trainer Ron Millman’s filly trotters Progressivekathy and Caviart Gemma swept ladies divisions in 2:00 and 2:00.1 respectively. Dr. Scott Woogen owns the pair who were driven respectively by Russell Foster and Fern Paquet Jr.
The former, a daughter of II Mago, passed eventual runner-up Wolfpack One at the head of the stretch and charged on en route to a 4-1/4-length triumph. Wolfpack One, owned by a trio from North Carolina that includes Stuart Chambers, Bcjm Inc. and Divine Horse Racing, was second, while The Stable Cherrys Girl and Hutchison Harness LLC’s Cherry’s Girl finished third.
The latter finished second initially to Timothy Betts and Shanamphilankilou’s Honolugoo, but after a judge’s objection review, the order was flipped and Woogen’s Captain Cory filly gained the top spot. Ashley Mulkern’s Twisted Janet finished third.
A second round of Breeder’s eliminations will be held next weekend (May 16th and 17th) followed by a Day of Champions card on May 23rd when a four-pack of $100,000 finals will be contested.