Virginia Derby tops 17-race Colonial Downs stakes schedule

Colonial Downs will hold 17 stakes worth a total of $1.8 million during its 15-day meet that will run from Aug. 8 through Sept. 7.

This will be the first Thoroughbred racing at Colonial Downs since 2013. The New Kent, Va., track first opened in 1997 but closed in 2014 when the track’s owner and its horsemen could not come to terms on a meeting.

New Kent is located between Richmond and Williamsburg, approximately 140 miles south of Washington, D.C.

The highlight of the meet will be the Grade 3, $250,000 Virginia Derby, a 1 1/8-mile turf race Aug. 31. The $150,000 Virginia Oaks is one of three supporting stakes on the card.

The Virginia Derby was run as the Commonwealth Derby at Laurel Park after Colonial Downs closed up shop, allowing the race to keep its grade.
Total purses for the Colonial Downs meet will be $7.5 million, an average of $500,000 per day.

Maiden races will have a purse of $50,000. First-level allowance races will be worth $60,000.

As in the past, the emphasis at Colonial Downs will be on turf racing. Colonial has a 1 1/8-mile turf course and an outer 1 1/4-mile dirt track.

Two steeplechase races will be held each Saturday of the meet.

Colonial will race Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. First post will be 5 p.m. Eastern, with the exception of Labor Day when the first race will be at 1 p.m.

Allison De Luca is the track’s director of racing. Jill Byrne is the vice president of racing operations.

On Friday, Jason Beem was named Colonial's track announcer. Merv Huber, will be the racing analyst and paddock host.

The Colonial down barn area will open July 25.

The track’s condition book and stakes book is available online at colonialdowns.com