Shenandoah Downs Spring Meet Racing Applications Available Beginning February 2 

Shenandoah Downs will usher in its 11th year of pari-mutuel harness racing April 11 and continue a 7-week spring meet through May 24 with programs every Saturday & Sunday at 1:05 PM. A 7-week fall meet will follow and extend from September 19 to November 1. Dates for both campaigns were formally approved by the Virginia Racing Commission at its December meeting.

Racing applications for the spring session will be available at shenandoahdowns.com beginning February 2 and need to be submitted to the race office by March 11. Peter Szymanski enters year number three in his role as Director of Racing, and Karen Fagliarone returns for her second year as Racing Secretary. For more details, horsemen can contact Karen at 732-239-0281 or e-mail her at raceoffice@shenandoahdowns.com.

The barn area opens Monday April 6 and pre-meet qualifiers will be offered on Tuesday April 7 at 10 AM.  After that date, qualifiers will take place on Saturdays at 12 Noon — including opening day, April 11. Racing entries will be taken every Wednesday for both weekend race cards. Saturday entries will clear on Thursday, and Sunday’s will clear on Friday.

Shenandoah Downs will experiment by going with seven-horse fields this spring whenever possible (in non-stakes races) as a new safety initiative.

A new multi-leg Seven Bends Claiming Series — celebrating the seven bends of the Shenandoah River that wind through Woodstock — will be formalized in the coming days and posted on the track website.

Virginia Sire Stake and Breeder’s Fund eliminations and finals for 3-year-olds will take place during the spring season. Sire Stake trot eliminations (April 18) and pace eliminations (April 19) will lead up to $60,000 final rounds — for both gaits — on April 25. Three-year-old trot eliminations on (May 9, 16) and pace eliminations (May 10, 17) will lead up to $80,000 final rounds — for both gaits — on May 23.

A single round of $20,000 Breeders Fund Aged trot and pace events will be conducted on May 2. Virginia Breeders’ and Sire Stake events for two-year-olds will take place in the fall meet.

Shenandoah Downs will continue to make use of its new 175-stall, 32,500 square foot horse barn, which debuted last fall. The Virginia Equine Alliance funded the $2 million project to create a permanent structure to safely house horses during both meets. Two additional smaller barns are utilized as well, along with 60 ship-in stalls.

Shenandoah Downs is conveniently located in Woodstock, Virginia, halfway between Winchester and Harrisonburg at I-81, Exit 283 — in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. The Shenandoah County Fair is held there every summer and includes a four-day non-wagering harness meet, which in 2026, will run from September 2-5.