Virginia-sired sophomores went to battle in four $136,986 Virginia Sire Stakes Finals on Saturday, April 25 at Shenandoah Downs.
Seminole Breeze captured the final for three-year-old male trotters, turning the tables on 2025 two-year-old champ Kalispel as he reversed the exactor order of last year's freshman final.
Corey Braden drove the son of Shibboleth Hanover-Seminole Wind to a half-length victory over the heavily favoured Kalispel (Billy Carter) in a full eight-horse field. The favourite led through panels of :30, 1:00.4 and 1:31.1 and into mid-stretch, but Seminole Breeze came on late to nip Kalispel in 2:00.4. The impressive Kalispel entered the stake with six career wins in eight starts, all at Shenandoah, and fell just short of wiring the field in start nine. Harding Boy (William Carter), an elimination winner, took third.
Eleven of the Seminole Breeze's 12 career starts have come at the Woodstock, Va. oval, and he has now won twice. The colt, trained by Stacey McLenaghan for Lisa Martin and Kathy Schoeffel, was second in one of two elimination divisions a week ago. He paid $47.60 to win on Saturday.
Knl Neely Girl was best in the three-year-old filly trot final as reinsman/owner Jesse Leinbach piloted the daughter of Snow King-Keiras Girl to a 2:05.4 victory. Leinbach, who registered just his second career win in the sulky, had his charge on top through fractions of :30.1, 1:02.2 and 1:33.4 and got her home to a neck victory over first leg prep winner Jet Joanna (Billy Carter). Bottaboom (Nick Roland) completed the ticket.
"It's crazy," said Leinbach. "It feels surreal, like it's not even real. This is why we're in it. We work hard at it every day. God blessed us with a win today."
Knl Neely Girl, trained by Clifton Green for Leinbach's JML Racing LLC, won a Virginia Sire Stakes prep division as a two-year-old, which was Leinbach's first driving win. The filly is now two-for-seven lifetime. Her win price was $14.
Jason Walters' Fools Journey captured the pacing filly final, and Debbie Warnick and Corey Braden's Morton J scored in the colt-and-gelding pace, which went as a match race.
Fools Journey wired the field in 2:01.2 as a 1-9 choice with Justin Walters aboard. The Journeyman-Flashs Fool filly won her prep by 4-1/4 lengths a week prior, and on Saturday put up the fractions of :29.4, 1:01 and 1:32 in a 2:01.2 win. Dancing Joyce (Corey Braden) was second by 2-1/2 lengths and Cant Stop Bopping (Billy Carter) took third. Jason Walters also trains Fools Journey, who has won twice in seven career starts. She returned $2.10 at the windows.
Morton J extended his margin over Artzinapowerhouse (Kevin Altig) throughout the male pace final. The Strong Player-Survivalizm gelding was 48-1/2 lengths ahead as he crossed the line in 1:57.2. Corey Braden drove for trainer Scott Warnick. Morton J won for the fifth time in eight career starts. He paid $2.10 to win.
In non-stakes action, Scott Woogen's K J The Thirteenth captured Sunday's $13,699 Open Handicap Trot in a coast-to-coast performance. The four-year-old Il Mago-My Kid Sister mare stopped the timer in 1:57.3 after delivering quarter panels of :28, :59 and 1:28.2. Justin Vincent piloted her to the 3-1/4-length victory for trainer Scott Warnick. K J The Thirteenth won his third straight start — the most recent pair at Shenandoah while the earlier one came at Rosecroft — and improved to 15-for-50 lifetime. Battin Athousand (Fern Paquet Jr.) was second, while Big Daddy D (William Carter) finished third.
Shenandoah Downs continues its spring meet through Kentucky Derby weekend with cards scheduled for Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 at 1:05 p.m.
(With files from Shenandoah Downs; photo of Knl Neely Girl and connections after winning on April 25)