News

Posted on February 18, 2025 by Aidan Turnage-Barney Determined Stables and Kingdom Bloodstock’s Determined Kingdom has been named Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year and will be recognized — along with other 2024 award winners — during Virginia Derby Day festivities at Colonial Downs March 15. A series of award presentations will take place between various races from the paddock infield that day and broadcast over Colonial’s simulcast feed. After 21 editions of the Virginia Derby — on turf, held during the summer months since 1998 — the race switches to dirt this year and becomes an official qualifier race on the Road to the ...

The following was written by Leland Schwartz and appeared in FauquierNow January 22, 2025 The 100th running of the Virginia Gold Cup races will be held at Great Meadow, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. The boards of Great Meadow Foundation and the Virginia Gold Cup Association have agreed on how best to keep the racecourse properly maintained, they announced Wednesday. Race day is May 3, a Saturday. The two groups said the agreement “follows a year of significant investments and enhancements to the Great Meadow racecourse, ensuring its readiness to host this prestigious event. These improvements include the installation of ...

The following appeared in The Racing Biz February 6, 2025 and was written by Frank Vespe R. Larry Johnson, who put his stamp on the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred industry on racetracks, in breeding sheds, and in boardrooms in Maryland and Virginia, passed away Feb. 4. He was 78. “He was successful in all parts of the horse business — standing stallions, selling yearlings and breeding good, competitive racehorses,” said Cricket Goodall, executive director of the Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA), on whose board he sat. “He had strong opinions which often resulted in good ideas. He challenged us all to be better.”  “Larry Johnson was ...

~ Exclusive seating options and experiences unveiled for Virginia’s first-ever Kentucky Derby qualifying race including limited General Admission tickets at fan-friendly prices ~ NEW KENT, Va. (January 8, 2025)—Colonial Downs Racetrack today unveiled a series of special ticket and experience packages for the Virginia Derby on March 15 including a limited number of General Admission tickets now available at the fan-friendly price of just $5. Additional seating, ticket, and experience options have been created especially for this historic day of racing on the Road to the Kentucky Derby including special trackside seats and boxes, the Trackside Dining Pavilion and Lounge, the ...

Horse racing dates and events for the 2025 calendar year in Virginia are set and include a healthy combination of thoroughbred, standardbred and steeplechase competitions that will be held at venues across the Commonwealth.  The season kicks off March 1 with the Rappahannock Hunt Point-to-Point (PTP) meet at The Hill in Boston, Virginia and concludes November 1 with the Montpelier Hunt Races at James Madison’s homestead in Montpelier Station. In between, six more spring Point-to-Points will be conducted — three of which feature a sprinkling of National Steeplechase Association (NSA) sanctioned jump races — in addition to six full NSA sanctioned ...

The following appeared in the Daily Racing Form and was written by Marcus Hersh Million-dollar Virginia- bred earner Gigante returned $3.80 in winning the Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes at Fair Grounds on Saturday December 21. Gigante, show in his stall at Colonial Downs prior to the 2023 Secretariat Stakes, has bankrolled over $1 million. Even chasing a loose leader who set a slow pace, Fair Grounds-turf-loving Gigante proved too much for the opposition in the $100,000 Buddy Diliberto Memorial Stakes on Saturday. Swiftsure went an opening half-mile in a glacial 50.95, yet still had no answer when Gigante and Jose Ortiz came with ...

When retired Virginia small animal veterinarian Adam Ainspan purchased his first racehorse 22 years ago, he most likely had a dream — as any new owner would — to someday win a stakes race say, with a $500,000 purse. That dream turned into reality for Ainspan on August 31, 2023 when his thoroughbred horse Harlan Estate captured the $500,000 Tapit Stakes at Kentucky Downs after being sent off at odds of 37-1.  Adam Ainspan of Graham Grace Stables with Harlan Estate at Kentucky Downs. Fast forward fourteen months to October 26, 2024 when Ainspan again found himself in the winner’s ...

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Darrell Wood Based on the recent success of running several National Steeplechase Association (NSA) sanctioned races at Virginia’s spring Point-to-Point meets the past couple years, that strategy will continue and even expand in 2025 according to NSA Director of Racing Bill Gallo.  “We’ve had a good experience at the Old Dominion and Blue Ridge meets and will be adding the Loudoun Hunt Meet at Morven Park in Leesburg to the mix next year,” said Gallo. “We thought it would be good to reach out to Point-to-Point meets that were well established and had good racecourses that were safe to ...

*Originally posted on covilar.com on 12/9/2024* Josep Bassaganya-Riera of Covilar LLC Acquires 50% Ownership of Five Star General in Partnership with Kenny Alhadeff of Elttaes Stables Stallion to Stand at Covilar’s Owl Hollow Farm in Floyd, Virginia for 2025 Breeding Season Floyd, Virginia — December 9, 2024 — Covilar LLC (“Covilar”) is pleased to announce acquisition of 50% ownership in Five Star General through a strategic partnership with existing owner Kenny Alhadeff. Five Star General, whose nickname is “Ike,” after U.S. President and five-star general Dwight D. Eisenhower, will stand at Covilar’s Owl Hollow Farm in 2025, offering breeders in Virginia and the ...

Boston, a Hall of Fame Virginia-bred thoroughbred horse, was feted December 1 at Historic Tuckahoe in Henrico County with a historical highway marker dedication that recognizes his prominence in the racing world. The marker was recently installed near his foaling location in the county along the westbound lanes of Route 6, at 10400-10402 Patterson Avenue. The dedication ceremony took place inside the original horse stable at Historic Tuckahoe — situated just outside of Richmond about 35 miles from Colonial Downs — which is the boyhood home of Thomas Jefferson.   Boston, a regal chestnut colored horse with a white blaze on his nose, ...