Colonial Downs

An expanded schedule with higher overnight purses and additional stakes events will feature this summer at Colonial Downs during a 41-day stand from Wednesday, July 9 through Saturday, Sept. 13. A total of 31 black-type races worth a total of $5.85 million are programmed for the meet, highlighted by the Colonial Festival of Racing Saturday, Aug. 9 and featuring the $1-million GI Arlington Million, the GII Beverly D. S. and the GII Secretariat Stakes. The meet's fourth and final graded event takes place on Saturday, Sept. 6 with the running...

That the figures recently released by the Jockey Club from its Equine Injury Database showed another significant drop in the number of fatalities was good news, but hardly surprising news. The numbers seem to get better every year. But dig deeper into the data presented by the Jockey Club and there is a number that is quite surprising and encouraging. In 2024, dirt tracks were almost as safe as synthetic tracks. There were 1.18 fatalities per 1,000 starts on the dirt, which came very close to the number in the...

Added to the Kentucky Derby Trail for the first time, the Virginia Derby entered a new era over the dirt at Colonial Downs on Saturday and it was American Promise (Justify--Tapella, by Tapit) who deposited 50 points into his 'Run for the Roses' account. It took him six starts to graduate from the maiden ranks, but a patient progression has never dissuaded D. Wayne Lukas before, and once the chestnut got his first win, he was tasked with stepping up into graded company. Crossing the line in sixth, but disqualified...

Despite having started just once before, Fondly (Upstart--Lifetime Memory, by Istan) once again put it all together to claim the Virginia Oaks, and her 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. A stylish first-out winner at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 14 when she graduated by four lengths over a maiden field going seven panels, her connections decided to take a chance in the newest point races toward American's premier contests for 3-year-olds, and she did not disappoint. Up in the leading flight early, she contested the pace briefly...

Sporting an afterburner that would make any jet jock high-five over the need for speed, Verifire (Authentic--Ruby Trust, by Smart Strike) went Mach 1 with his hair on fire en route to a successful unveiling at Colonial Downs. The score gave trainer Brad Cox his second 'TDN Rising Star' on Saturday afternoon. Initially sold for $260,000 during Keeneland September, Verifire was taken home by John Stewart of Resolute Racing for a cool $1 million at last year's OBS March Sale. Sent to Cox, the chestnut drilled at Payson Park in...

Nearly seven months ago to the day, it was announced by Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin to the crowd on hand at Colonial Downs for the running of the Arlington Million that for the first time in 2025, the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks--heretofore grass races held during the traditional summer meeting in New Kent--would be switched to the spring and to the main track to position themselves as prep races for the main events in May. That day arrives Saturday, as a field of nine sophomore males heads to the...

3rd-GP, $94k, Msw, 3yo, 5fT, 1:50p.m. ET Profiled last year by our colleagues at TDN Europe, Benny The Waiter (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) has been shipped to the states to make his US debut in a turf dash at Gulfstream Park. A 280,000gns Craven Breeze-Up purchase by Repole Stables, this is the half-brother to GSP-Eng Space Legend (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) while his dam, unraced Newton's Angel (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}), is herself a half-sister to SW-Ire & GSP-Fr Treasure Isle (Ire) (No Nay Never). The group black type...

Florence, KY--"Okay, I'm coming!" said Kaitlin Free. Bursting into a small room sandwiched between the announcer's booth and Free's broadcast studio at Turfway Park in Florence, Kentucky, the Churchill Downs Inc. (CDI) analyst was only halfway through applying her mascara and eyeliner, but that wasn't going to stop her from watching Flood Zone (Frosted) take the GII Gotham Stakes. With half her face on and the other 'au naturel,' Free's eyes were glued to the screen as she watched intently, offered an assessment as the field blazed for the far...

Colonial Downs Racetrack will host the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance during the weekend of the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks, set for Saturday, March 15, 2025. A longtime supporter of accredited aftercare, Colonial Downs will honor Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance with a named race on Virginia Derby Day. Following the race, a presentation will take place in the winner's circle, where the connections will receive a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance blanket and gift bag. Also on Saturday, Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance will present Best Turned-Out awards for the Virginia Derby and Oaks. The Best...

With recent rain at Santa Anita limiting training Friday on the main track to joggers only, GI Del Mar Futurity winner Gaming (Game Winner) took to the synthetic training track to post a six-furlong work ahead of an expected tilt in next weekend's Virginia Derby at Colonial Downs. Gaming was clocked going over the Tapeta in 1:12.60 (1/2). Last Friday, Gaming worked six furlongs from the gate in a bullet 1:11.80 on the main track. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gaming exits an eighth-place finish in the GIII Southwest Stakes Jan....

Churchill Downs has scheduled 50 stakes races cumulatively worth a record $26,175,000--a $525,000 increase--for its 2025 Spring Meet, which covers 43 race dates between April 26-June 29, the track said in a Friday press release. The American Turf for 3-year-olds, annually staged on the Kentucky Derby undercard, had its purse raised to $1 million after the American Graded Stakes Committee elevated the 1 1/16-mile grass race to Grade I status. The American Turf is one of four Spring Meet stakes that received purse hikes for 2025 and one of seven...

The voice of the GI Kentucky Derby, Travis Stone, will be on the mic to announce the Virginia Derby meet at Colonial Downs, the track announced Wednesday. Stone will call all three days of the meet, set for March 13-15, headlined by the Virginia Derby, a Kentucky Derby points race, Saturday, March 15. "I'm really looking forward to being part of the Virginia Derby meet at Colonial Downs," Stone said. "It's exciting to see the 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' go through Virginia and to be involved in such an...