Virginia 2021 harness race dates announced for Shenandoah Downs

Dates and post times for the sixth annual fall harness racing season at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock have been announced, pending Virginia Racing Commission approval. The five-week parimutuel meet will run from September 17 – October 16 with racing every Friday at 4 PM and Saturday at 1 PM. Races take place at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds in Woodstock, located halfway between Harrisonburg and Winchester off I-81 at Exit 283.

Racing applications will be available online in late spring at vhha.net and shenandoahdowns.com. The barn area will open Wednesday, September 15, and close on Saturday, October 16. Purse distribution is expected to average $50,000 per day.

The Virginia Breeders race schedule has also been confirmed and will be presented in a slightly different format from past years. Opening weekend will feature eliminations for three-year-old trotters on September 17 and three-year-old pacers the following day. Elims for two-year-olds will be held the second weekend — trotters on September 24 and pacers on September 25. The 24th annual Breeders Championships, which also include aged races and combined purse monies well over $300,000, will take center stage on the third weekend. Trotters in the two, three, and aged divisions will go for big money on October 1 while pacers in each will compete on October 2.

The Shenandoah County Fair will continue a decades-long tradition of harness racing at their late summer Fair — held at the same Woodstock location — two weeks before the “Downs” meet begins. A four-day season will run September 1 – 4 with a daily post time of 12 Noon.

The Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA) also announced details of an enhanced Certified Residency Program that will offer combined bonus monies of $2 million to participating 2020 and 2021 foals.

In order to enroll in the lucrative program, horses must register with the VHHA and reside at a participating farm or training center in the Commonwealth for a minimum of six consecutive months before they turn two years of age. Once horses start competing, they will accumulate points from every money earning start as a two and three-year-old. The better the finishing position in each start, the more points they will accumulate. Double points will be awarded from any start in Virginia — at the Shenandoah County Fair and Shenandoah Downs meets.

Awards are distributed based on cumulative year-end point totals and the bonus money pool available. 2020 foals will compete for a $300,000 bonus pool in each of their two and three-year-old race seasons while 2021 foals will vie for a $400,000 pool in each. Horses in the Certified program will also be eligible to compete in a series of newly added $25,000 restricted races at Shenandoah Downs during their freshman and sophomore seasons, based on their age, sex and gait.

Complete program details, application forms, and a list of participating farms are available at vhha.net. For more information, call Debbie Warnick at 443-463-0917. The Residency program is separate from the Virginia Breeders Fund program.