Shenandoah Downs: Ballarddrgoldfngr prevails in one of four Virginia Sire Stakes finals

Jonda Smith's Ballarddrgoldfngr picked up where he left off a week ago in Virginia Sire Stakes competition, capturing the $102,975 divisional final for 2-year-old colt and gelding pacers Saturday at Shenandoah Downs.

The Archie Buford trainee was fresh off a 2:00 1/5 wire-to-wire effort in his divisional prep September 27 and wired the field again in the final in 1:57 2/5. The Doctor Butch gelding got to the front and cut panels of 28 3/5, 57 3/5 and 1:27 2/5 with Buford in the sulky, then crossed the finish line 4 1/4 lengths the best over Joe Chindano's Ohh Hey Bud. Tracy Bradshaw's Ain't No Doctor finished third.

Ballarddrgoldfngr is now five-for-eight with earnings of $93,987. Earlier this year, he powered to a 1:54 3/5 winning effort at Oak Grove in a $40,000 Kentucky Sire Stake event.

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John Pyott's Nurse Nippy also wired the field in the $102,100 filly pace division in just her second career start. The daughter of Doctor Butch, who won her prep in 2:01 1/5, triggered quarter panels of 29 seconds, 59 seconds and 1:29 2/5 before finishing a comfortable 3 3/4 lengths ahead of runner-up Miss Diagnosed. Bryson Dunning trains the winner and Scott Warnick conditions the runner-up. Mike Viars and Pam Horton's Art Heart Breaker finished third.

Tremaine Harding's Dance With Jenni headlined the $103,150 filly trot based off a seven length prep win and did not disappoint. The Armed Dangerously filly led by a one or two length cushion at every quarter station in the final, cutting respective panels in 31 seconds, 1:00 4/5 and 1:31 4/5 before crossing the wire in 2:02 3/5. The winner is owned by Tremaine Harding and was driven by Billy Carter. Michael Sherman's Vee Gee was second and Tremaine Harding & Cornelius Martin's Queen Jessica finished third.

In the Sire Stake male trotting counterpart, Dylan Havens' Andy's Disaster came from third in the final turn of his $102,425 final, opened up by 2 1/4 lengths at the top of the stretch and held on for a 1 3/4 length victory in 2:03. Trainer/driver Chrissy Johson led the winning effort aboard the Winning Fireworks gelding who is now five-for-six. All five wins have come at the Woodstock oval - two during the recent County Fair meet, one in an overnight race opening weekend and two in Sire Stake battles the last two weeks. Tracy Bradshaw's TNT Jabony finished second and Arthur Hauser's Opie Taylor took third.

Shenandoah Downs continues its fall meet through November 1 with racing every Saturday and Sunday at 1:05 P.M. (EDT) - with one exception. This coming Sunday's card (October 11) will go to post at 11:05 A.M. Details are at shenandoahdowns.com.

--press release (Shenandoah Downs)--