The stands were packed tight for the return of racing to the Shenandoah County Fair in its 97th season. Nine races were held on what was a lightning fast track all afternoon in Woodstock, Virginia.

Local driver Scott Woogen took the opening race with two-year-old colt Luck Dynasty (Impel Hanover-Diamonds For Julie). Lucky Dynasty was a very lightly raced horse before coming to the fair, racing at Ocean Downs in Maryland. The colt took the last turn wide not once, but twice, and still cruised to victory. The final time of the race was 2:24.2.

One of the more exciting races was in Race 3 where Mr Express (Village Jove-Repartee), coming from the C-2 Class at Ocean Downs, had to battle gamely against former Maritime Breeders champion Putnams Art. Driver William Carter tried to go to the lead and really had to battle in a race that went in 2:01 flat. In the second heat, the Nova Scotia-bred Putnams Art (Southwind Balsam-Raisin Ruckus) got his revenge and cruised home to defeat Mr Express by a length in the day's fastest 2:00.4 with Woogen aboard.

Tug River Man (Malabar Man-Maija K) had about a month off before coming to Shenandoah and really showed a ton of promise in the afternoon's fastest trot. Betsy Brown tipped outside at the three-eighth marker and really had to battle Stylish Image coming down the lane, but got by in the final sixteenth of the mile to win in 2:03.4.

Racing returns to the Shenandoah County Fair tomorrow with a first race post of 1 p.m The entry box for Saturday is still open and closes on Thursday at 11 a.m. Click here to find the condition sheet for Saturday.

(With files from Shenandoah County Fair)