15 Stallions scheduled to stand in Virginia for 2026 Breeding Season

(WOODSTOCK, VA —- 2/10/2026) —- The Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA), which added a lucrative Sired Stakes initiative to their portfolio of incentive programs in 2022, announced that 15 stallions will be standing in the state for the 2026 breeding season.

Ten trotting stallions and five pacing stallions, including seveal new ones, will stand at Virginia farms this year located mainly in the central and southwest part of the Commonwealth.

In the Central Virginia region, trotter Dusty Winner, based at Charlie Dunavant’s Woodhill Farm in Victoria, has sired 38 starters that have earned a combined $2.9 million and include a number of former Virginia Breeder’s champions. New to the mix this year is pacer Iammrbrightside N, a winner of $726,957 whose wins include a trio of Grade 3 stakes in Australia. He will stand his first season at Cristy Yoder’s Farm in Nathalie along with Secular (trotter). Armed Dangerously (trotter), winner of the Fall Harvest Stakes at Yonkers as a freshman, will stand at Joe Coblentz’s Farm in Nathalie. Other stallions based in that area include trotter Dancer Hall — a winner of $432,452 — at Ivan Byler’s farm in Halifax, and Primo Vomo, at Memo Hershberger’s farm in Crystal Hill.

Another nine stallions will stand in the Southwest portion of the state including pacers Artzina and Jeneral Patton — who are again based at Michael Viars’ Farm in Pilgrim Knob. The former bankrolled $780,063 during an impressive racing career and in stud, has sired 57 starters that have earned $3.8 million. The latter bankrolled $470,404 from 29 wins. Trotter Love Hunter, who sired last year’s Virginia Sire Stakes 2-Year-Old Filly Trot winner Talehia, will be based at the Cedar Bluff Farm in Jonesville. Trotter Winning Fireworks, a proven sire of 52 starters that have earned over $2.4 million, will stand at Tracy Bradshaw’s TNT Racing Stable in Bland. Pacer Mr. Julian will stand at the Charles Viers Farm in Pilgrim Knob and trotter Wishbone, a son of Gregory Pecs, will be based at Adam Akers’ Round Mountain Stable in Bastian. The Jarrell Farm in Dugspur will also host a pair of trotters — Diplomatsaw’spanco & MB Fireworks Hall — who are both standing their first season in 2026. Finally, Neptune, who won eight different New York County Fair stakes as a freshman, will stand at Joe Chinando’s Farm in Long Island, VA.

Sired Stake races will be run based on age, sex and gait as two and three-year-olds. Elimination races feature a $6,000 purse and finals go for $60,000. Sired foals are also eligible to compete in the Breeder’s Fund races during the same years, which feature $8,000 eliminations and $80,000 finals.

The Sired Stakes program also offers bonus payments to stallion owners and breeders. They will each receive 15% of the Sire Stakes purse winnings their foals earn in the two and three-year-old preps and finals at Shenandoah Downs.

More details, contact information and pricing for each is available at vhha.net or by calling Debbie Warnick at 443-463-0917. The Sired Stakes initiative will complement other VHHA incentive programs like Breeder’s Fund races and the Certified Residency program.

The 2026 racing schedule at Shenandoah Downs will again feature a pair of seven-week meets. The spring session will run from April 11 – May 24 and the fall meet will run from September 19 – November 1. Race days are Saturday and Sunday afternoons with a 1:05 PM post. A four-day non-wagering meet will also be conducted during the Shenandoah County Fair from September 2-5. Racing applications are currently available online at shenandoahdowns.com.

by Darrell Wood, for Shenandoah Downs