COLONIAL DOWNS ANNOUNCES STAKES SCHEDULE FOR 2025

Festival of Racing Slated for August 9; Newly Christened Old Dominion Derby for September 7

NEW KENT, VA (April 14, 2025) – An expanded live racing schedule, featuring higher overnight purses and more stakes races, is on tap when Colonial Downs kicks off its 41-day meet, running from Wednesday, July 9 through Saturday, September 13. The summer 2025 stakes program, highlighted by a quartet of graded races, includes 31 races worth a total of $5.85 million. Overnight races will offer $70,000 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, scheduled for Saturday, August 9 is highlighted by the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Grade 2 $500,000 Beverly D. and the Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes, the traditional weekend for the renowned trio. 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. All three races are slated to be run over Colonial’s acclaimed Secretariat Turf Course.

Four additional stakes races pepper the Festival Day program: the $100,000 Petramalo Mile, a one-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds; its sister race, the $100,000 Tyson Gilpin at seven furlongs; the $150,000 Van Clief for 3-year-olds and up at 5½ furlongs on turf and its distaff companion event, the $150,000 Andy Guest.

On September 6, the Grade 3 $500,000 Old Dominion Derby and the Listed $250,000 Old Dominion Oaks take the place on the stakes schedule previously occupied by the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks which were moved to the dirt track and held in March.

The Old Dominion Derby and Old Dominion Oaks are 1-1/8 miles grass races and headline a card with $1.3 million in stakes purses including four other turf stakes: the $150,000 Da Hoss Stakes for older horses at 5½ furlongs; the $150,000 Colonial Cup a 1½-mile marathon for 3-year-olds & up; the $125,000 Rosie’s Stakes for 2-year-olds sprinting 5 ½ furlongs; and the $125,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes for 2-year-olds over a two-turn 1-1/16 miles on turf.

Notable stakes winners at Colonial in 2024 included: Beverly D. victress Moira, who went on to capture the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf en route to voted 2024 Eclipse Champion Turf Female; Grade 1 stakes winner Nations Pride, who captured the Arlington Million and was recent winner of the Group 2 Singspiel in Dubai; and Grade 1 Belmont Derby hero Trikari, who added the Secretariat to his win ledger.

Two other $100,000 open company stakes are slated for the season: the Reigh Count for older horses travelling seven furlongs and Love Sign, a six-furlong dash for fillies and mares, both to be held Saturday, July 26.

Virginia-bred, -sired, and -restricted runners get plenty of opportunities throughout the summer starting the second weekend of the meet with four $125,000 events for Virginia-bred/sired horses the Punch Line, a 5½ furlong turf dash and the Edward P. Evans, a two-turn 1-1/16 miles grass route on Friday, July 18 while the distaff version of the same races, the Glenn Petty and Brookmeade stakes, respectively, will be raced the following day.

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 Saturday, 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 and its female counterpart the $100,000 Camptown Handicap both at 5½ furlongs on turf. Like the Keswick and Hickory Tree, each race offers $50,000 in additional money for Virginia-bred/sired horses.

The final races restricted to Virginia runners – the $100,000 Bert Allen Handicap and the $100,000 Nellie Mae Cox Handicap – top the closing day card on Saturday, September 13. 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 stakes holders six stakes races restricted to Maryland- and Virginia-bred or sired horses beginning the first Saturday of the meet 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 16 – the $125,000 Find for older horses at 1-1/16 miles on the turf and its distaff counterpart, $125,000 All Brandy also at 1-1/16 miles on the turf. The remaining two are 5½-furlong turf races for 2-year-olds: the $125,000 Jamestown its sister race, the $125,000 Dolley Madison scheduled for Saturday, August 23.

Additionally, there will be two $100,000 stakes races for fillies and mares presented by the National Steeplechase Association, the Randolph D. Rouse on Thursday, August 7 and the Life’s Illusion on Thursday, September 4.

Although not technically stakes races, 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 November 15.

Eight races under starter allowance conditions will be run on Thursday, August 23: the $50,000 Iron Horse Qualifier (1-1/16m dirt); $50,000 Ready Rocket Express Qualifier (6f dirt); $50,000 Glass Slipper Qualifier, $62,500 Rapid Transit Qualifier (7f dirt); $75,000 Tiara Qualifier (1-1/16m turf); $75,000 Canterbury Qualifier (5½f 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. Stall applications are due Friday, May 9.