Bryson Dunning harnessed three winners on opening day of the fall meet at Shenandoah Downs on Saturday, Sept. 13, picking up right where he left off after leading all trainers during the track's spring meet.
Dunning combined with William Carter in each of the three wins, including with the 11-year-old Mach Three-Winbak Pam gelding Rebellious, who edged Hillbillypacinhill by a half-length in the $12,500 Winners Over Pace feature. Leonards Legacy (Tim Deaton) cut first-half fractions of :26.3 and :55.4 before the eventual winner took over past the half. After three-quarters in 1:24.4, Rebellious resisted the closing Hillbillypacinhill (Christian Myers) for the win in 1:54.3. Leonards Legacy was third.
Rebellious ($6.20) pushed his career bankroll to $685,737 while tallying his 83rd win in 256 starts. He is owned by P T Stable.
Dunning and William Carter first scored in the fifth race with Onlythetuffsurvive ($4.20), whom Dunning co-owns with Gunnar Dunning, in a front-stepping 1:56.3 effort. Bryson Dunning and Carter then went back-to-back, winning the sixth with Bettor Be Oscar A ($14.60) in 1:56.3 for P T Stable. The trainer's triple was completed with the ninth-race win with Rebellious.
Bryson Dunning, in his fifth year as a trainer, is in the midst of a breakout season. The Carneys Point, N.J. resident has already set new personal bests for wins and earnings in a year with 67 and $556,283, respectively. His numbers were buoyed by a strong performance in the spring session at Shenandoah, in which he won his first conditioners' title.
Carter added a fourth win on the card aboard Jimmy Viars' Sweet Fancy Moe ($7.60). That put him into an opening-day tie with driver Eric Davis, who also slammed. Davis, who was celebrating his 29th birthday, reached the winner's circle with Alex Goldin's Righthererightnow ($14.20), Oscar Johnson Jr.'s Thosesummernights ($3.60), Jennifer Petrelli's Kenobi ($11.80), and Lou Goans' Leroy Gibbs ($25) in the finale.
Three horses tied for fastest mile of the weekend, 1:54.3, starting with Rebellious. Chuck Perry had a pair on Sunday that equalled the 1:54.3 clocking: the 12-year-old gelding Johns Dream, and three-year-old colt The Lizard. The fastest trotting mile came in Saturday's $11,111 top conditioned trot, in which Kenobi wired the field in 1:58.3.
Shenandoah Downs continues its seven-week fall stand through Oct. 26, with racing every Saturday and Sunday at 1:05 p.m. This coming weekend, Virginia Sire Stakes two-year-old prep races will take place in four divisions, with $60,000 USD finals scheduled the following weekend.
The track will also host a two-day amateur drivers competition between the U.S. Harness Drivers Club and the Southern Tier Amateur Club. Four drivers from each will compete in a pair of races both Saturday and Sunday and accumulate points based on finishing position. Coolers will be awarded to the winning horse in each dash, and drivers, trainers, and grooms of participating horses will receive baseball caps. In addition, cheques will be awarded after each amateur race to non-profit organizations, totalling $3,000 USD.
Free Trackmaster programs, along with "Derby Bill's" tip sheets, are available at shenandoahdowns.com. Races are streamed live on the track's website. Wagering is available via major ADWs, tracks, and off-track betting outlets around the country.
(With files from Shenandoah Downs; photo of Rebellious winning on Apr. 15, 2023)