SATURDAY’S VIRGINIA DERBY HIGHLIGHTS SPECIAL FOUR-DAY RACE WEEK TO CONCLUDE 2024 SEASON AT COLONIAL DOWNS
Posted on September 4th, 2024
~ 46 live races to be held Wednesday through Saturday, highlighted by $500,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby ~
NEW KENT, Va. (September 4, 2024)—Colonial Downs will close out its 2024 live racing season with a packed slate of races on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Commonwealth’s premier thoroughbred racetrack. A total of 46 live races, including the season’s final three steeplechase races, will take place over the next four days, highlighted by the annual $500,000 Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby.
“We are thrilled to cap a tremendous season of live racing with the annual Virginia Derby Day at Colonial Downs,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing at Colonial Downs. “This will be an action-packed four days of racing as we wrap up our 2024 season and begin preparing for our exciting new spring races anchored by the newly elevated Virginia Derby on March 15, 2025.”
The 2024 New Kent County Virginia Derby will be the final iteration run on grass in the summer. Beginning in 2025, the Virginia Derby will serve as a Kentucky Derby qualifier race and be run on dirt during a new spring racing session.
The post times and race count for the final weekend of live racing are as follows:
Wednesday, September 4
First Post 1:25pm
11 races
Thursday, September 5
First Post 11:45am
12 races w/ 3 steeplechase jump races
Friday, September 6
First Post 3:00pm
11 races
Saturday, September 7
First Post 1:00pm
12 races
Highlighted by the $500,000 Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby
Saturday’s Virginia Derby Day will feature fantastic thoroughbred racing and fun for the entire family including live bluegrass music from River City Band, a free Secretariat poster for the first 1,000 fans, pony rides, petting zoo, face painting, and more family-friendly entertainment.
General admission and convenient guest parking at Colonial Downs are free every day. For an elevated guest experience, Colonial Downs offers reserved Grandstand Seats and Grandstand Box Seats as well as dining options in the Jockey Club restaurant on the third floor and in the 1609 restaurant on the fourth floor.
For more information on tickets, dining, and pricing, visit Colonial Downs on the web at www.colonialdowns.com.