Woodstock, VA — Scott Betts’ Ready Set Goo surged past Queen Jessica and PJ’s Lovin late in the stretch of Saturday’s (Oct. 24) $10,000 Virginia Breeders Fund 2-Year-Old Filly Trot prep and prevailed by one-half length in 2:00.4. The daughter of Googoo Gaagaa now advances to next Saturday’s $100,000 final leg, which is part of Shenandoah’s “Day of Champions” card for freshman pacers and trotters of both sexes.
Michael Whitaker’s Queen Jessica got to the front initially and cut the opening quarter in :29.2 while the eventual winner trotted 12 lengths behind. Herman Hagerman’s PJ’s Lovin surged into the lead coming out of the second turn and authored the next two fractions in 1:00.1 and 1:30.2 and took a commanding five-length lead into the head of the stretch. Driver Scott Betts urged his trotter to a late comeback effort though — which was Ready Set Goo’s fourth lifetime win. PJ’s Lovin finished second and Adrian Wisher’s Aren’t I Pretty took third.
In the male trot division, Jim Campbell’s Call Me Ovi rebounded from a third-place finish in the series’ first leg to reach the winner’s circle Saturday in 2:00.4. The Gimpanzee colt settled into the pocket immediately after the start behind Herman Hagerman’s In The Worst Way and remained there until deep in the stretch. Driver Troy Beyer authored a well-timed late surge that enabled the colt to gain his first lifetime win — after two seconds and a trio of third place finishes.
Trainer Steve Le Blanc’s Dapper Dudette won a $10,000 Breeders Fund 2-Year-Old Filly Pace elimination Sunday (Oct. 25) in the trainer’s first ever start in Woodstock. Le Blanc’s Dapper Dude filly collected her eighth “in-the-money” finish in nine career starts, crossed the wire in 1:58.3 and was three lengths the best. With the victory, she secured a spot in Saturday’s divisional final. Lucas Myers drove the winner for the Micki Rae Stables. J M B Ventures’ If I Win Uwin was second and John Pyott’s Nurse Nippy took third.
In the second filly pace, trainer Janet Davis’s Oops All Berries captured her Breeders elimination in wire-to-wire fashion as the 1-9 heavy favorite. The 2-year-old daughter of Captain Crunch won her second straight in the competition. She posted quarter fractions of :29, :58.2 and 1:28 before crossing in 1:57.2, one length over runner-up All That Rusty (Hagerman Racing). The winner was driven by Eric Davis for owner Ramona Gillespie. Ellen Warren and Robert Krenitsky’s Dark Sunkist finished third.
Both male pacing eliminations clocked in at 1:58.2 and the respective winners were one-two finishers in the recent Virginia Sire Stake freshman final. Archie Buford’s Ballarddrgoldfngr won his Sunday elimination leg by 3-1/2 lengths after he shook off a pesky Lovethatsoup who finished in second. Buford piloted the Doctor Butch gelding — whose 2026 bankroll now stands at $99,787 — for owner Jonda Smith. The runner-up is owned by Vanessa Powell and third place finisher Ohh Nice is owned by Joe and Terry Chindano and Leigh Clarke.
Chindano’s Ohh Hey Bud prevailed in the second elimination contest over runner-up Caviart Legend, who had a perfect pocket trip throughout but came three-quarters of a length shy at the wire. The winner has three wins and three seconds at Shenandoah over the last two months, the last five with Lucas Myers in the sulky. The son of Neptune hit the wire in a new life mark. Hagerman Racing’s Caviart Legend was second while Mike Viars and Pam Horton’s Artzina Storm finished third.
Shenandoah Downs finishes out its 11th season of racing this coming weekend with cards Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1:05 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 1 at noon. Saturday’s card features a four pack of $100,000 Breeder’ divisional title bouts and a special Trunk or Treat promotion. Details are available at shenandoahdowns.com.