Warnick Posts Natural Hat Trick as Shenandoah Downs Opens Spring Meet

Trainer Scott Warnick made an immediate statement to open the spring harness racing meet at Shenandoah Downs, scoring a natural hat trick Saturday with victories in three consecutive mid-card races.

Warnick’s trio of wins came with Baltimore Jack N, K J The Thirteenth, and Lou’s Starr, showcasing both veteran consistency and top-tier speed across the card.

Lou’s Starr won his 15th career race, and ninth at Shenandoah Downs (Darrell Wood photo).

Baltimore Jack N set the tone in a $6,250 conditioned pace, wiring the field in 1:56 2/5. The 11-year-old gelding held off late challenges from Thor And Dr Jones and Hillbillypacinhill by a head at the wire. Driver Corey Braden guided the veteran to his 31st career victory.

K J The Thirteenth followed with a dominant front-running performance in the $8,500 trotting feature. Driven by Justin Vincent, the Maryland-bred standout stopped the clock in 1:58.0 for her 14th career win. The mare, honored as Maryland’s 2025 three-year-old trotter of the year, finished two lengths ahead of Braggen Bliss, trained and driven by Nick Roland, who posted three driving wins over the weekend.

Warnick completed the hat trick with Lou’s Starr, who delivered the fastest performance of the weekend in the $10,000 Open Handicap. Driven again by Braden, the 4-year-old rallied from fifth, surged three-wide on the final turn, and powered past Rebellious in the stretch before holding off Noblesville to win by 1¼ lengths in 1:54 1/5.

Sunday’s feature brought another thrilling finish as A Major Omen, owned by Gerry Longo, edged past Bluebird Ina in the final strides to win a $8,000 conditioned pace. The 10-year-old gelding notched his 53rd lifetime victory, pushing his career earnings to $498,759.

Racing resumes next weekend at Shenandoah Downs, with cards scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, April 18–19, beginning at 1:05 p.m. each day. The seven-week spring meet runs through May 24.