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The Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) has announced that Jill Byrne will take over as the organization’s Executive Director. Debbie Easter will remain an integral part of the VTA but will now focus more time and energy on a wider range of industry initiatives with the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) of which she is President. Byrne will also continue to serve in her existing role as Vice-President of Marketing & Strategic Planning for the VEA.   Byrne is a Virginia native and graduate of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville and has come full circle in a sense. After spending several decades in ...

The Old Dominion Hounds Point to Point was held on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Ben Venue farm in Washington, Virginia. The exciting day of racing featured 10 races, including 3 races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association (NSA). Two of the point-to-point races had so many entries that they split into 3 & 2 divisions, respectively. The eight race was cancelled due to a lack of entries. leading to 12 competitions throughout the card. The first race was an amateur/novice rider hurdle. For four-year olds and up going about 2 and a half miles over fences. This race was won ...

Even though the day started misty and chilly, it turned out to be a beautiful, partly sunny day with temperatures in the upper 60s. Fans and patrons from throughout the Commonwealth and beyond came out to experience this historic event. The second race was named in honor of  R. Larry Johnson, who passed away in February. Mr Johnson had a significant impact in breeding and racing in the Mid-Atlantic for decades. His family were present for this emotional tribute. Divine Works (by Divining Rod, out of Saltworks) crossed the wire first for owner Country Life Farm and trainer Michael Trombetta, a ...

~ High-profile trainers Bob Baffert, D. Wayne Lukas, and Ken McPeek all enter horses in historic Kentucky Derby qualifying race this Saturday, March 15 at Colonial Downs; Multiple Triple Crown race winning jockeys to ride this weekend ~ The race fields for the historic 2025 Virginia Derby and 2025 Virginia Oaks will feature a slate of promising young horses, including one born right here in Virginia, and legendary race teams, trainers, and jockeys with multiple Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown victories on their resumes. “Racing’s legends and rising stars will be continuing their journey on The Road to the Kentucky Derby right ...

Colonial Downs will offer an extensive wagering menu for Virginia Derbyweekend, highlighted by two daily 50-cent Pick 5 wagers each with a fan-friendly 12% takeout. Thursday and Friday’s eight-race cards will feature Pick 5s beginning in Races 1 and 4. Saturday’s Virginia Derby card will include two Pick 5s, starting in Races 1 and 6. If no winning tickets correctly select all five winners in the sequence, the pool will carryover to the next day’s late Pick 5 sequence. There will be a mandatory payout in all Pick 5 pools on Saturday. The wagering lineup also includes the $1 Old Dominion 6, ...

Exiting a second-place finish in the Rachel Alexandra (G2) at Fair Grounds RaceCourse & Slots, Fern Circle Stables’ Gowells Delight was made the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the $250,000 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs. The co-feature of a special three-day meet beginning Thursday, March 13, the 1 1/16-miles Virginia Oaks will be held on Saturday, March 15, together with the 1 1/8-miles $500,000 Virginia Derby. The winning horse in each race will receive 50 points toward the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) or Kentucky Derby, presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), respectively. The second- through fifth-place finishers will earn 25-15-10-5 points on ...

Sometimes love, in all its forms, creates a unique web of connections, bringing people together around their passions. Diana McClure (DMC Racing Stables) and Susan Cooney (Cooney Racing Stable) are long-time horsewomen in Northern Virginia who found domestic happiness through their love of horses. They both raise & train racehorses and have farms just eight miles apart. But they have something else in common. Each is married to one of the Cooney brothers, Pat and Michael, who came over from Ireland to the United States to ride steeplechase horses. Susan met Pat Cooney on a blind date at Fox’s Den in ...

Saturday’s 1 1/8-mile race at Colonial Downs attracted ten 3-year-olds and provides the winner 50 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby The field is set for the first-ever Kentucky Derby qualifying race at Colonial Downs as the $500,000 Virginia Derby attracted a field of ten 3-year-olds, led by the Sunland Park Derby (L) winner Getaway Car. Virginia Derby fans will experience new hospitality areas when they arrive at the New Kent oval March 15 including trackside benches that have been moved closer to the track for the 3-day all-dirt meet. The centerpiece of a special three-day meet beginning Thursday, the 1 1/8-mile Virginia ...

Saturday March 15 may be Virginia Derby Day, but don’t pass on Friday’s (March 14) card at Colonial Downs which includes a pair of $150,000 Virginia-restricted handicaps — the Stellar Wind, for fillies/mares 4&up, and The Boston, for males 4&up. The Boston Handicap celebrates the Hall of Fame Virginia-bred who was bred/raised in Henrico County. The Boston’s 11-horse field includes a million-dollar earning Virginia-certified horse — Book’em Danno — and an almost million dollar earning Virginia-bred — Repo Rocks. The former won the G1 Woody Stephens Stakes at Saratoga last summer and prior to racing, spent his Virginia residency at ...

Final preparations are underway for Virginia Derby weekend at Colonial Downs, where a three-day meet from March 13-15 will feature Saturday’s stakes doubleheader, the $500,000 Virginia Derby and $250,000 Virginia Oaks. “It’s shaping up to be a great weekend of racing,” trainer Brad Cox said. “We plan to have several horses to run, including one in the Virginia Derby.” Among the expected contenders for the Virginia Derby is Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman’s Grade 1 winner Gaming. Trained by Bob Baffert, Gaming won the Del Mar Futurity (G1) as a 2-year-old and went on to finish second to his stablemate ...