Daniel Chansky's Lous Starr authored a new speed record for two-year-olds at Shenandoah Downs on Saturday, Sept. 28 when the Sweet Lou colt pacer crossed the wire in 1:53.2 under the direction of Fern Paquet Jr. 

The Scott Warnick trainee has dominated in all three of his Woodstock, Virginia starts this fall though Saturday's race was the first in wire-to-wire fashion. 

In a full field of eight, Lous Starr came outside of Maker Dance just before the quarter pole, triggered the fraction in :28.3 then opened up by five lengths at the half in 56.2. The front-stepper maintained that cushion the second time around, passed the third stanza in 1:24.4 and finished seven lengths the best. His prior margins of victory were by eight lengths. 

Trainer Warnick had four additional wins over the weekend with Baltimore Jack N (1:54.4), Baltimore Beauty (1:59.1), Hey Siri (1:57.1) and Tuggingoncredit (1:53.4). 

Former Shenandoah Downs track record holder Johns Dream collected his third win of the year on Sunday and triggered his best finishing time since a Virginia Breeder's race victory nearly two years ago. The 11-year-old Dream Away gelding, who got a perfect pocket trip through the half behind Marcus Seelster, came outside in the final turn and took the lead but had to fend off fast-closing A Major Omen at the wire. The winner, who is owned, trained and driven by Chuck Perry, crossed the wire in 1:54.3. Johns Dream won for the 48th time and pushed his earnings to $381,602. 

Saturday action had 14-year-old pacer Big N Bad reach the winner's circle for the 78th time – to complement 95 other "in the money" finishes – while five-year-old pacer Gee Im The Prince reached the winner's circle for the first time ever – in his 55th career start. The former is a Jimmy Viars trainee, who was best in 1:56.1 with Eric Davis in the bike, a half length better than Aint It Fun. The Badlands Hanover gelding increased his career bankroll to $856,632. The latter broke his winless streak with a wire-to-wire win by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:58.2. Branden Smith, who owns and trains, was in the sulky as well. The Betting Line gelding, sent off as the betting choice, had more lifetime starts than all horses combined in the eight-horse maiden field. 

The five-week Virginia Breeders' Series kicked off over the weekend with three-year-old eliminations contested over both days. The series will culminate on closing day (Oct. 27) with the $650,000 USD (est.) 27th annual Virginia Breeders Championships.

On Saturday, Nanticoke Racing Inc. & Delbert Cain's Platinum Proposal and Marna Shehan's Speedy Town both won $10,811 elimination races in the filly trot category. The former is a Les Givens trainee that was driven by Jim Morand in 2:02 while the latter was driven by Tyler Shehan in 2:04.1 for wife Marna, who trains and owns. 

Jane Dunavant's Pretty Two and Kelsey Wagner's Geralds A Keeper each scored first leg victories in the colt/gelding trot. The former is a Carlo Poliseno trainee, who was driven by Cody Poliseno in 2:01.1. The latter, who is eight-for-nine this year with earnings of $169,686, crossed the wire in 2:02.2 with Corey Braden in the bike for trainer John Wagner. Jane Dunavant's Rip Away, winner of the $92,400 final as a freshman last year, finished second to Platinum Proposal on Saturday. 

On Sunday, Caviart Farms swept both eliminations of the filly pace division with their Caviart Sophie and Caviart Ainsley. The pair are trained by Tony Alagna and were driven by Anibal Borjas to victories in 1:56.1 and 1:57, respectively. Anne McDonald's Sweet Pirategirl, last year's two-year-old champ in this division, finished second to Caviart Ainsley. 

Tracy Bradshaw's Bgoing Away, runner-up in the $85,025 freshman final last year, took the lone colt/gelding pace division in a lifetime best 1:56.4 with William Carter aboard. The 2023 champ, Petes For Real, was second.  

The second round of three-year-old eliminations will be held this Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 5-6.     

Also on Saturday, horsemen gathered in the winner's circle for the Donna Weyant Memorial Race. Sandy Peterson, Donna's longtime business partner in harness horse ownership, was on site for the memorial race and actually had a horse entered. The pair have supported Virginia harness racing going back to the Colonial Downs era in the late 1990s. Ironically Chris Shaw, who drove their Triple T Swinger to victory twice at Shenandoah Downs, was the winning driver in the memorial race with three-year-old gelding trotter Blame It On Texas. After the race, Peterson said, "It felt like Donna was here with me helping to push Chris across the finish line first."

(Shenandoah Downs)