by Darrell Wood, for the Virginia Equine Alliance

Woodstock, VA — The Shenandoah Downs racing season continues every Saturday and Sunday through Oct. 9 with a post time of 1 p.m. Racing Secretary Mike Wandishin has tweaked the draw schedule beginning this week.

Entries will be taken for Saturday’s card on Wednesday, and entries for Sunday’s card will be taken on Thursday. During the first two weeks, a double draw for both weekend programs had been held on Wednesday.

Horsemen can call entries in to 540.459.5460 or 540.459.5456.

Trainer Amanda Jackson and driver Roger Plante teamed up to win a pair of races for owner Larry Jackson at Shenandoah Downs this past Sunday (Sept. 18) as the second week of action from the inaugural meet came to a close.

The duo kicked off the card with Justa Party Animal’s wire-to-wire triumph in 2:01.1 and came back in the fifth with Desire Lady’s 1:57.3 winning score. The former finished second at the Woodstock half-mile oval opening weekend and took advantage of a class drop Sunday. The latter, who encountered similar circumstances, bettered a third place finish a week prior with a one length triumph over Baby Buntin courtesy of a class drop, too. Both pacers were sent off as respective betting choices in their $3,500 conditioned events.

Reinsman Tyler Shehan continued to have an early season presence by connecting twice. He guided Herman Hagerman’s Abbe Normal and Lawrence Cooper’s Summer Deo to victory in the sixth and eighth races. Abbe Normal earned her first lifetime win after 37 outings. The 5-year-old daughter of Kadabra wired a field of trotters en route to a 2:01.4 crossing. Summer Deo came outside at the half, grabbed the lead by a nose from Said No One Ever and never looked back. The 6-year-old Tell All gelding won his second straight at Shenandoah and finished just one-fifth of a second slower than last week’s 1:56.2 winning effort.