COLONIAL DOWNS ANNOUNCES STAKES SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2026

NEW KENT, VA (May 12, 2026) – A robust schedule of 35 stakes races and handicaps worth more than $6.5 million, topped by the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing on Saturday, August 1, is on tap when the Virginia racetrack opens its doors for a 45-day summer season on Thursday, June 25.

The 2026 schedule will offer live racing every Thursday through Sunday, plus a special holiday card to bring down the curtain on the season on Labor Day, Monday, September 7. Overnight races will offer $70,000 purses for open maiden special weight contests ($87,500 for Virginia-restricted races), while allowance races will feature purses up to $80,000 for open runners and $90,000 for their Virginia-restricted counterparts.

The Colonial Downs Festival of Racing is highlighted by the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Grade 2 $500,000 Beverly D. and the Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes. The Million will be run at 1¼ miles, the Beverly D. will be contested at 1-3/16 miles and the Secretariat covers one mile. The renowned trio of races are slated to be run over Colonial’s acclaimed Secretariat Turf Course.

Five additional stakes races pepper the Festival Day program: the $150,000 Van Clief (Listed) for older runners at 5½ furlongs on the turf and its sister race the $150,000 Andy Guest; the $100,000 Petramalo Mile, a one-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds and its distaff counterpart , the $100,000 Tyson Gilpin at seven furlongs; and the $100,000 Reigh Count at seven furlongs on the dirt.

Colonial’s other graded stakes race, the Grade 3 $500,000 Old Dominion Derby, is slated for closing day on Labor Day. The Old Dominion Derby is a 1-1/8 miles turf race for 3-year-olds and headlines a sextet of turf stakes which also includes the $250,000 Old Dominion Oaks (Listed) for sophomore fillies at also 1-1/8 miles; the $150,000 Colonial Cup for 3-year-olds and up traveling 1½ miles; the $150,000 Da Hoss for older runners sprinting 5½ panels; and a pair of tests for the juvenile set – the the 1-1/16 mile $125,000 Kitten’s Joy and the 5½-furlong $125,000 Rosie’s Stakes.

Four new $100,000 stakes races were added for the expanded season – the Maggie Walker for fillies and mares at a mile on the dirt on Saturday, July 18; The Yorktown for older horses at nine furlongs on the main track on Saturday, July 25; plus the Colonial Turf Dash for 3-year-old turf sprinters and its female counterpart the Shenandoah Turf Dash both at six furlongs on Saturday, August 8.

There is one more open company stakes race on the 2026 docket, the $100,000 Love Sign on Saturday, July 25 for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on the dirt.

Virginia-bred, -sired, and/or -restricted runners get plenty of opportunities throughout the summer starting June 27, the first Saturday of the meet, with the $125,000 Edward P. Evans for older horses at 1-1/16 miles on turf its distaff counterpart the $125,000 Brookmeade.

Two weeks later turf sprinters are spotlighted in the $125,000 Punch Line and the $125,000 Glenn Petty, both at 5½ furlongs, the latter race restricted to females.

A pair of 2-year-old races for Virginia-restricted runners – the $100,000 Hickory Tree and its sister race the $100,000 Keswick – headline the Sunday, August 2 program. Each race offers $50,000 in additional money for Virginia-bred/sired horses and will be run over 5½ furlongs on the dirt.

Later in the meet older Va.-restricted horses are featured in the $100,000 Meadow Stable Handicap for older turf sprinters on Saturday, August 15 and the distaff version, the $100,000 Camptown Handicap two weeks later on Saturday, August 29. Each race offers the same Virginia-bred/sired bonus as above.

The final races restricted to Virginia runners – the $100,000 Bert Allen Handicap and the $100,000 Nellie Mae Cox Handicap – top the Saturday, September 5 card. The races, each of which offer $50,000 in additional purses for Virginia bred/sired participants, are 1-1/16 miles turf events with the latter restricted to fillies and mares.

With continued collaboration between Virginia and Maryland stakeholders, six stakes races restricted to Maryland- and Virginia-bred or sired horses begin on the second Saturday of the meet on Independence Day with the $125,000 Star De Naskra for 3-year-olds and $125,000 the Miss Disco for sophomore fillies with each race slated for seven furlongs on the dirt. Two more are slated for Saturday, August 15 – the $125,000 Find for older horses at 1-1/16 miles on the turf and its distaff counterpart, $125,000 All Brandy at the same distance. The remaining two are 5½-furlong turf races for 2-year-olds: the $125,000 Jamestown and its sister race, the $125,000 Dolley Madison scheduled for Saturday, August 29.

For the second straight year, Colonial Downs will host qualifying races for the Claiming Crown. The top two finishers in each race will automatically qualify for the Claiming Crown which will be held at Churchill Downs on Saturday, November 14.

Eight races under Starter Handicap conditions will be run on Saturday, August 22: the $50,000 Iron Horse Qualifier (1-1/16m dirt); $50,000 Ready Rocket Express Qualifier (6f dirt); $50,000 Glass Slipper Qualifier (1m dirt); $62,500 Rapid Transit Qualifier (7f dirt); $75,000 Canterbury Qualifier (5½f turf); $75,000 Tiara Qualifier (1-1/16m turf); $87,500 Emerald Qualifier (1-1/16m turf); and the $100,000 Jewel (1-1/8m dirt).

Condition books and stall applications are available online at www.colonialdowns.com under the horsemen’s tab as well as at Equibase.com.