COLONIAL DOWNS ANNOUNCES SELLOUT OF 2026 VIRGINIA DERBY
Posted on March 13th, 2026
~ All available tickets have been sold; More than 8,000 guests and race fans expected to attend Virginia’s only Kentucky Derby qualifier race on Saturday, March 14 ~
NEW KENT, Va. (March 13, 2026)—Colonial Downs Racetrack today announced that the 2026 Virginia Derby on Saturday, March 14, 2026 is officially a sellout! More than 8,000 guests and race fans are expected for this historic day of thoroughbred racing.
No more General Admission or Reserved tickets are available and tickets will not be sold at the gate. Fans interested in resale tickets should only utilize the official Ticketmaster market through www.ColonialDowns.com.
“It is absolutely incredible to have a second straight sellout for the Virginia Derby,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing Operations for Colonial Downs Racetrack. “Virginia race fans are turning out for the worldclass racing we offer at Colonial Downs and the entire sport is taking notice.”
Saturday’s Virginia Derby will be the Commonwealth’s only qualifying race on The Road to the Kentucky Derby with the winning horse securing a spot in the field for the 152nd Kentucky Derby at historic Churchill Downs Racetrack on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
Virginia Derby Day will feature a full day of thrilling races, plus live entertainment, music, and more. The day’s festivities will feature live performances by The Brasswind Band, American Idol contestant Cari Lacey, and local country singer Sheila Sullivan, as well as a special recognition ceremony for Virginia charities and community partners, a military honor guard and flyover, and an aerial ballet from The Bullseye Formation Team.
This special three-day Virginia Derby meet is the start of a record-setting season in which Colonial Downs will host 48 days of live racing, the most in the track’s history. Following the March meet, the racing season will continue with another 45 days of live racing each Thursday through Sunday from June 25 through a special day of racing on Labor Day, Monday, September 7.
For more information on the Virginia Derby or the upcoming summer race season, visit www.colonialdowns.com.
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