Bob McKim's Kalispel and Clifton Green's Knl Neely Girl captured $8,219 colt and filly trotting divisions, respectively, in the first-ever Virginia Sire Stakes races on Saturday, Sept. 20 at Shenandoah Downs.

McKim's trotter wired the eight-horse field in 2:02.2. After cutting initial panels of :30.2, 1:02.1, and 1:33, the Gregory Pecs-Speedy Kim Mindale gelding took a 2-1/2-length lead into the top of the stretch and powered home to beat Financialymbarased (Declan Donoway) by 6-1/4 lengths. Kades Nay (Christian Myers) was third. Kalispel is owned by McKim and is now two-for-three in his young career. The entire field will return on Saturday, Sept. 27 to compete in the $60,000 USD final.

In the filly division, reinsman Jesse Leinbach scored his first career driving win by directing Knl Neely Girl to a wire-to-wire triumph in 2:06.3. The freshman daughter of Snow King-Keiras Girl authored stanzas of :31.1, 1:03, and 1:34.4 before crossing the wire 1-1/4 lengths ahead of Talehia (Eric Davis). Giddy Up Yaya Girl (Rock Vinci) was third. The upset winner, who is owned by Jml Racing LLC, was sent off at odds of 24-1 and paid $51.20 for the win. She has won one of two starts for trainer Green.

Leinbach earned his first victory in his 12th start. The New Holland, Pa. resident made his debut at Gratz Fair last season and has compiled a record of 12-1-2-2.

Sunday's $8,219 Virginia Sire Stakes divisional two-year-old pacing events were won by Leonard Jones Jr.s' Morton J and Vinci's Treasuremealways. The former, owned, trained, and driven by Jones, went wire-to-wire in a two-horse field in the event for males, putting up :32.1, 1:05.1, and 1:37.2 splits and completing the mile in 2:08.4. He beat I Be Haulin Fast (Donoway) by 2-3/4 lengths in the match race. The winner, a Strong Player-Survivalizm gelding, is undefeated in two starts.

In the latter division, for fillies, the freshman daughter of Strong Player-Cambest Treasure battled parked-out to victory. Dancing Joyce (Donoway) cut fractions of :29.2, :59.2, and 1:30.4 but surrendered the front as Willliam Carter led Treasuremealways past her at the head of the stretch to win in 2:02.1. May I Help You (Charles Perry Jr.) finished 1-3/4 lengths behind in second while Dancing Joyce took third. Treasuremealways took her first win in three starts for owner Susan Hager.

To be eligible for the Virginia Sire Stakes, horses must have been sired by a stallion that was registered with the Virginia Harness Horse Association and stood in the Commonwealth of Virginia during the breeding year. The program began in the 2022 breeding season and resulting foal crop of 2023 — which are now two-year-olds — will compete for $60,000 USD purses next weekend.

(With files from Shenandoah Downs; photo of Kalispel winning on Sept. 20)