Woodstock, Virginia resident Barry Shrum scored his first win ever as a harness horse owner and trainer on Sunday, April 22 at Shenandoah Downs when his 12-year-old pacer Pacific Stride went three-wide in the final turn, passed four front-steppers and cruised home to a 4-1/2-length win after being sent off at odds of 9-1. Driver Fern Paquet Jr. directed the son of Art Major to his 20th lifetime victory in 1:56.3 following a pair of third-place finishes in Shrum's care.
Shrum is the second local "Own a Horse for a Day" contest winner to invest in ownership of an actual harness horse -- and win! Shrum's friend Steve Wetzel, who often attended racing at the Shenandoah County Fair, won the same contest several years ago and is now a full-time harness horse owner, trainer and farm owner with a dozen head racing between the Woodstock oval and Rosecroft Raceway.
Fans will have one more chance to enter the Virginia Harness Horse Association's popular "Own a Horse" promotion on Kentucky Derby weekend – May 4 & 5. Eight contestants selected will return a week later on May 11 and will each own a horse in a pre-selected race. They will receive a lunch voucher, get to meet their horse and connections in the paddock before the race, and keep the share of purse money their horse earns in a $5,250 USD race.
In other weekend action, David Jarvis's Creekside Pete stayed undefeated at the Shenandoah spring meet, winning his third straight in the $10,959 co-featured Winners Over Trot on Sunday with Corey Braden in the bike. The eight-year-old Uncle Peter gelding rose in class for the third straight time but maintained his recent wire-to-wire form with a 1:57.1 clocking. Stacey McLenaghan trains Creekside Pete, whose career bankroll sits just shy of $300,000 after his 30th win. Shantae Gant's Vulcan Hanover, one of the winningest horses ever at Shenandoah Downs, took second in his spring debut while Darren Olsen's Black Hope finished third.
In the following race, Alexandra Goldin's Marco Beach captured the co-featured $10,949 Winners Over Pace in 1:53.1 courtesy of a strong second half. The eight-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding powered from third to first after the half with Eric Davis in the sulky and crossed two lengths the best for his 25th lifetime score. Royal Rock Racing's Colossal Stride A finished second and Cole Olsen's One of the Guys took third.
On Saturday, a four-pack of $8,219 prep divisions in the track's Mountain Racing Series went to post. James Brown's Ellens Wish and Pam Wagner's K J Todd each scored in respective Alleghany Trot mare and horse/gelding races while Charles Myers' Hillbillyclassygirl and Scott Woogen & Brenda Messenger's KJ Hunter crossed first in respective Blue Ridge Pace divisions. All four will return this Saturday, April 27 and look to repeat when purses increase to $25,000 USD for the finals. This series is open to Virginia-certified four and five-year-olds who spent a minimum of six weeks at a registered Virginia farm before they turned two years of age.
United States Harness Drivers Club action picked up on Saturday with a trio of races. Jack McNeil prevailed with Dale Wicher's KKs Dream Girl, Brian Tomlinson won with Chuck Perry and Jason Fitzgerald's Antaeus, and Stacey McLenaghan connected with John Wagner's Ideal Perfection Ten. The meet-long series will continue on Saturday.
Shenandoah Downs offers free parking and free admission for on-track customers, and free Trackmaster past performance programs for all fans via its shenandoahdowns.com website. Free Tip Sheets from longtime Thoroughbred and harness handicapper Derby Bill Watson are available via the website as well. The Shenandoah simulcast signal is available to wager via all major streaming platforms and at many tracks and OTBs around the country.
(Shenandoah Downs; Photo of Barry and Robin Shrum)