Pam Wagner's K J Todd, Charles Myers' Hillbilyclassygirl and Scott Woogen & Brenda Messenger's KJ Hunter all successfully advanced from their Mountain Racing Series prep race wins a week ago to the winner's circle in a series of $34,247 finals on Saturday, April 27 at Shenandoah Downs.
Anne McDonald's My Quick Moni, who broke stride in her prep and finished third, was the only Saturday series final winner to not have prevailed a week earlier.
The Mountain four-pack was open to Virginia-Certified four and five-year-old horses who participated in the Virginia Harness Horse Association's residency program several years ago before they began competing.
Driver Fern Paquet Jr. led a well-timed move aboard K J Todd (pictured above) in the final turn against five other horses and geldings in an Alleghany Trot final. The four-year-old Trixton gelding easily won his April 20 prep by 10 lengths in similar fashion as Saturday -- by trotting near the back of the field and making a move after the third marker. In the final, K J Todd surged past Jane Dunavant's Big Daddy D – who had nicely recovered from two earlier breaks -- in the final straightaway to cross 2-3/4 lengths the best in 1:59. Scott Woogen's KJ Devil finished second and K J Phillip, another Woogen horse, took third.
Hillbilyclassygirl won her Blue Ridge pacing prep by 1-3/4 lengths, but on Saturday, dominated the field with a 10-length triumph as the 1-9 favourite. The four-year-old Racing Hill mare crossed the half up by 1-1/2 lengths, opened up a three-length cushion at the third marker and powered home uncontested from that point. Guided by 21-year-old Christian Myers, her finishing time of 1:55.1 was a nice step forward from her 1:57 clocking of a week prior. Ken Weckstein and Brenda Messenger's Brendas Delight finished second and Mark Gray's Dancing Beach Girl was third.
The Woogen/Brenda Messenger-owned KJ Hunter was three lengths the best in the Blue Ridge Pace final for horses and geldings. The heavy favourite did not disappoint as he won for the fourth time in his last five starts. The five-year-old Huntsville gelding led at every stanza except quarter panel two when KJ Hunting stuck a head in front and cut that mark. KJ Hunter crossed in 1:55.3 for his 23rd career win. Fern Paquet Jr. drove for trainer Gary Messenger.
My Quick Moni completed a wire-to-wire trip in the Alleghany Trot final for mares, completing her journey in 2:01.2 with trainer Mark Gray in the sulky. The four-year-old daughter of International Moni had to qualify at Rosecroft during the week after a series of recent breaks but she stayed flat both laps around en route to a 4-1/2-length score over Robert White's Antares Star. Tracy Bradshaw's Joan Deer finished third.
On Sunday, a pair of horses won their third straight race at the Shenandoah spring meet: Lawrence and Derrick Cooper's Caviart Stoney and Eric Thompson's Checkme. The former established a new life mark on a sunny, 87-degree afternoon in which he was a nose behind Cole Olsen's Volley Ball Beach turning for home, passed the front-stepper then held off fast-closing Cirrus De Vie at the finish in 1:53.3. Reinsman Billy Carter, who had four wins on the card, led the effort. Archie Burford piloted the latter to a new life mark as well, crossing the wire in 1:56.1 in a conditioned pace. The four-year-old Check Six gelding was first in 1:57.3 and 1:57.1 in his previous two starts.
Spencer Goldin's Lucky Streak won his third race of the meet on Sunday, though they have not come consecutively. The four-year-old Luck Be Withyou gelding wired the field in the afternoon finale and also established a new life mark of 1:53. The winner is trained by Alexandra Goldin and was driven by Eric Davis. Lucky Streak has three wins and a second in Woodstock so far this spring.
Shenandoah Downs will race at a special 2:05 p.m. post time on Saturday May 4. The track will host a Derby at the Downs Party, which features a slate of exhibition miniature horse races, including a grudge match race between the father-son duo of Billy Carter and William Carter. The spring season continues through May 19.
(With files from Shenandoah Downs)