Monticello native and resident Gary Messenger tends to race horses at his home track while shipping as far as Pocono Downs or Yonkers Raceway when needed. So why does the 69-year-old trainer find himself making the six-hour trek to Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock, Virginia, this Saturday (April 27)? The Virginia trip is a result of a 20-25 year connection with Scott Woogen, who in many cases co-owns and breeds a number of the horses under Messenger's care. A doctor by trade, Woogen lives in Richmond, Virginia, and was instrumental in the creation of a "certified residency program" to award the connections of horses that spend at least six consecutive months in Virginia before they become 2-year-olds. "We raise all of our babies in Virginia. They foal at Cameo Hills Farm in Montgomery [New York] and after they wean them we send them to Virginia. It is warmer down there," said Messenger, who explained the value of raising a horse in Virginia. "The 5-year-olds were the first crop and when they raced as 2-year-olds they got $1.06 for every dollar they earned. It is a good program." Indeed, the Virginia program is on the rise and according to Woogen the number of foals taking advantage of the residency program has increased from the mid-40 range at the start a few years ago to about 100 this year. If a horse spends a minimum of six months in Virginia before they turn age 2, they will earn points for every start during their 2- and 3-year-old seasons of racing. Each horse earns one point for every dollar earned – even outside of Virginia (but excluding Virginia stakes) – up to 5,000 total points. At the end of the season, awards are given based on total points. "Our goal was to increase the economic impact of horse racing in the state and make it more relevant for the legislature," said Woogen, who serves as President of the Virginia Harness Horse Association. "There is a pot of money right now that offers $500,000 each for 2- and 3-year-olds. If all the horses in the program earn a million dollars total, each point will be worth 50 cents (500,000/1,000,000). The money is distributed at the end of the year. If the horse changes hands during the year, the money will follow the owner of the horse on the day of the race. We've had horses earn up to $30,000 in a year through the program. "Percent-wise more of our total money goes into breeding than any other state," continued Woogen, who also outlined that the Virginia Sire Stakes program has $60,000 finals and a mare/stallion bonus when a foal qualifies. Plus there is a third program for Virginians who own 100% of a mare with an eligible foal – no matter where it is bred – to compete in $80,000 races for 2- and 3-year-olds. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter While the races are ineligible for the residency program bonus money, there are four $25,000 events for certified horses on the 12-race Saturday Shenandoah card that kicks off at 1:05 P.M. (EDT), and Messenger and Woogen have the clear favorite in the Blue Ridge Pace for 4- and 5-year-old horses and geldings with KJ Hunter, who was an easy 2 1/2 length winner in an April 20 prep as the 1-5 favorite. "He won it last year when it was 4-year-olds and under, because that is the oldest eligible crop. Now it is 4- and 5-year-olds. He's a pretty nice horse. Last year he won in [1:]52 on a half and [1:]51 2/5 on a big track," said Messenger, who also has KJ Unreal in the five-horse field carded as race 12. "Unreal is not quite as good as Hunter, but he's a nice horse as well. He's a small, tough little horse." KJ Hunter drew post two, just to the outside of his uncoupled stablemate. Fern Paquet Jr. drivers the former while Corey Braden takes the lines behind KJ Unreal. In the $25,000 Blue Ridge for mares of the same age, Messenger, along with co-owner and breeder Ken Weckstein, is represented by Brendas Delight, second behind Hillbilyclassygirl in a prep race last weekend. "There is one horse that looks a little tougher in there," said Messenger, alluding to Hillbilyclassygirl. "[Brendas Delight] pulled first-over last week and cleared but got beat by that horse following her. If she races like she did she'll be no worse than second." Brendas Delight goes from post five (Paquet) while Hillbilyclassygirl (Christian Myers) has the three-hole in the six-horse field carded as race two. Trotters are spotlighted in a pair of races called the Alleghany. Big Daddy D seems like the standout in the first race if he minds his manners while the 11th race division for mares is Ellen's Wish's to lose. While all four of the $25,000 races have fields of six or less on Saturday, as the Virginia program continues to grow so too will the quantity of horses participating. The number of stallions in the state has grown to 17 according to Woogen. "We recognized that there was no reason to breed to a Virginia stallion; the program was too small back then," said Woogen, looking back more than a handful of years. "We had a $40,000 race and we allowed the mares, if they were owned by a Virginian, to breed anywhere in the country. So horses like KJ Hunter, who is a Huntsville, is eligible to New York and our Virginia program." Shenandoah Downs will continue its spring meet until May 19, offer county fair races at the end of August, and pick up a fall meet from September 14 to October 27. Clearly the Virginia Standardbred industry is on the upswing, and while some may've missed a great ground-floor opportunity, the possibilities appear to be trending upward.