The Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA), which added a lucrative Sired Stakes initiative to its portfolio of incentive programs in 2022, announced several new stallions will be standing in the state for the 2026 breeding season.  

A total of 10 trotting stallions and five pacing stallions will stand at Virginia farms this year located mainly in the central and southwest part of the Commonwealth, including new stallions Dancer Hall, Diplomatsawspanco, Iammrbrightside N and MB Fireworks Hall.

New to Virginia in 2026, Dancer Hall 5,1:51.1s ($563,982), the 2018 Honourable Earl Rowe Memorial Trot champion and O'Brien Award finalist, will stand at Ivan Byler's farm in Halifax. The 12-year-old son of Deweycheatumnhowe-Daylon Mystique previously had limited matings in Pennsylvania.

Iammrbrightside N p,10,1:50.3f ($753,597), a winner of more than $750,000 whose wins include a trio of Grade 3 stakes in Australia, will stand his first season at Cristy Yoder's farm in Nathalie, Virginia. The 16-year-old pacer is a son of Julius Caesar out of Onedin Spur.

The Jarrell Farm in Dugspur will host a pair of unraced trotters who are both standing their first season in 2026. The four-year-old Diplomatsawspanco is a grey son of The Diplomat out of Angel Warken while the seven-year-old black stallion MB Fireworks Hall is a son of Winning Fireworks out of Christabel Hall.

Other stallions standing in the state include Armed Dangerously, Artzina, Dusty Winner, Jeneral Patton, Love Hunter, Mr Julian, Neptune, Primo Vomo, Secular, Winning Fireworks and Wishbone.

Sired Stakes races will be run based on age, sex and gait as two and three-year-olds. Elimination races offer a $6,000 USD purse and finals go for $60,000 USD. Sired foals are also eligible to compete in the Breeder's Fund races during the same years, which offer $8,000 USD eliminations and $80,000 USD finals.

The Sired Stakes program also offers bonus payments to stallion owners and breeders. They will each receive 15 per cent of the Sire Stakes purse winnings their foals earn in the two and three-year-old preps and finals at Shenandoah Downs.  

More details, contact information and pricing for each is available at vhha.net or by calling Debbie Warnick at 443-463-0917. The Sire Stakes initiative will complement other VHHA incentive programs like Breeder's Fund races and the Certified Residency program.

The 2026 racing schedule at Shenandoah Downs will again feature a pair of seven-week meets. The spring session will run from April 11 to May 24 and the fall meet will run from Sept. 19 to Nov. 1. Race days are Saturday and Sunday afternoons with a 1:05 p.m. post. A four-day, non-wagering meet will also be conducted during the Shenandoah County Fair from Sept. 2-5. Racing applications are currently available online at shenandoahdowns.com. 

(With files from VHHA; photo of Dancer Hall winning at Woodbine Mohawk Park)