Colonial Downs Wraps Historic, Record-setting Race Season
Posted on September 15th, 2025
~ Season featured first Kentucky Derby qualifier race and record highs for race days, number of races, guests in attendance, horses in competition, handle, and purse money ~
NEW KENT, Va. (September 15, 2025)—Colonial Downs wrapped up an historic and record-setting 2025 race season on Saturday, September 13. The 2025 season featured the track’s first ever Kentucky Derby qualifying race, the first ever Kentucky Derby winner to run at the track, and new record highs for race days, number of races, guests in attendance, horses in competition, handle, and purse money.
“This season was an unbelievable success by any measure,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing at Colonial Downs. “We are so grateful for all the new and returning race fans and horsemen that brought energy and excitement to the track during the Virginia Derby spring meet and our ten-week summer race season. Colonial Downs is proud to be a key part of Virginia’s growing and thriving equine industry, which supports thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of economic impact all around the state. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the track in March for the Virginia Derby to see which Virginia champion will earn a spot in the iconic Kentucky Derby.”
The 2025 race season at Colonial Downs set new record highs for Virginia thoroughbred racing including:
- 44 race days
- $27.4 million in purse money
- 397 total races
- 3,146 horses in completion
- Over 70,000 guests in attendance
- $101,032,299 in wagering handle including a one-day record of $10.46 million for the Festival of Racing
The season began with a special three-day meet from March 13-15, highlighted by the sold-out Virginia Derby which served as a Kentucky Derby qualifier for the first time ever. More than 8,000 excited guests came out to cheer on winner American Promise who went on to run in the 151st Kentucky Derby.
Governor Glenn Youngkin recently announced that the 2026 Virginia Derby will again serve as a Kentucky Derby qualifier on March 14, 2026 subject to approval by the Virginia Racing Commission. Tickets for the 2026 Virginia Derby will go on sale at www.ColonialDowns.com in the coming weeks.
The season continued from July 9 to September 13 with racing highlights including the Old Dominion Derby and Festival of Racing, which set a new record for largest wagering handle in Virginia history and featured the track’s first Kentucky Derby winner in competition, Mystik Dan. The season also offered fan favorite entertainment like camel, ostrich, and zebra races, the unforgettable wiener dog races, and a live performance by American Idol star and New Kent native Grayson Torrence.
Colonial Downs, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, and The Rose Gaming Resort, which are all owned and operated by industry leader Churchill Downs Incorporated, are critical pieces of Virginia’s $2+ billion equine industry. Revenue generated at Rosie’s and The Rose support high-value purses that attract worldclass race teams and boost Virginia’s broader equine industry.
