COLONIAL DOWNS WRAPS UP SUCCESSFUL 2024 SEASON, BEGINS PREPARATIONS FOR NEW SPRING RACES
Posted on September 19th, 2024
~ Tickets on sale for 2025 Virginia Derby on March 15; Race will serve as “win and you’re in” qualifier for 2025 Kentucky Derby ~
NEW KENT, Va. (September 19, 2024)—Colonial Downs Racetrack wrapped up another successful season of live racing with Virginia Derby Day on September 7. Over the course of 27 days of live racing, thousands of race fans and families watched 2,000 equine athletes compete in more than 250 live races including the $1 million Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Grade 2 $500,000 Beverly D. and Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes during Colonial Downs’ annual Festival of Racing on August 11.
Now, Virginia’s premier thoroughbred racetrack is preparing for an exciting new spring meet in March 2025, anchored by the Virginia Derby on Saturday, March 15, 2025. Tickets are now on sale for the Virginia Derby which will now be a “win and you’re in” Kentucky Derby qualifier race that guarantees the winner a spot in the field for the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3, 2025, at legendary Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.
“This was another tremendous season of fun, excitement, and worldclass racing here in Virginia,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing at Colonial Downs. “Virginia’s reputation as a premier destination for horses, jockeys, trainers, and fans continues to grow. In just a few months, we will take things to another level with our first ever Kentucky Derby qualifier race. It will be a historic moment for Virginia racing that you won’t want to miss!”
“It is exciting that the road to the 2025 Kentucky Derby will run through Virginia,” said Gary Palmisano, Vice President of racing at Churchill Downs Incorporated, owner and operator of Colonial Downs racetrack. “Churchill Downs Incorporated is proud of our investments in the racing operation and fan experience at Colonial Downs and are committed to elevating Virginia’s profile within the sport. Racing is thriving in Virginia, and is poised to keep growing.”
The 2024 live race season at Colonial Downs included unforgettable family entertainment, including the track’s first Wiener Dog races, as well as exciting action on the track. Horses, trainers, and jockeys from around the world gathered for the 9-week meet. Irish-born jockey Ben Curtis claimed the meet championship with twenty-four victories. Mike Trombetta was the winningest trainer with fifteen victories, while global powerhouse Godolphin edged Virginia stalwart Larry Johnson as the top winning owner of the meet.
The track also hosted its annual “Virginia Champions Day” which highlighted the growth and strength of Virginia’s $2 billion equine industry with special races just for Virginia-bred, -sired, and -certified horses. These Virginia-restricted races are a key part of the efforts by Colonial Downs, its parent company Churchill Downs Incorporated, and stakeholders throughout the industry, including the Virginia Equine Alliance, to strengthen Virginia’s equine industry.
Additional details on the 2025 live racing schedule, including the new spring race schedule, will be released in the coming months and are contingent on the approval of the Virginia Racing Commission.
