Virginia-bred horses will get a chance to compete in a second “showcase” type day in Maryland this year on Saturday June 25th at Pimlico. The event is part of a new “Mid- Atlantic Day” race card that will feature a series of three stakes and two maiden races exclusively for Virginia- Breds. This new program is in addition to the annual Virginia-Bred Stakes Day slated for… Continue reading →

A trio of horses with triple digit bankrolls — two Virginia-bred and one Virginia-owned, all gave their connections a memorable Memorial Day holiday by adding another chapter to their resumes.

Virginia-bred horses scored wins at six different tracks around North America the week leading up to Memorial Day including a pair during opening week festivities at Delaware Park.

Pauper’s Queen, an 8 year old daughter of Royal Academy bred by Atkins Homes Inc., started the week off by winning a $17,000 one mile waiver claiming race at Presque Isle in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Gerald Brooks trainee was last in the eight horse field at the half… Continue reading →

Topped by a Medaglia d’Oro   colt sold for $600,000, the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds in training sale got off to a rocky start May 23 in Timonium, Md., with major downturns in every key statistical category when compared with a strong opening session a year ago.

F-T reported 157 horses sold for $10,715,500, down 17.9% from the first-session gross of $13,047,000 a year ago. Day 1 average fell 33.6% to $68,253 from $102,732. The 72 not sold represented an… Continue reading →

Pimlico Racecourse just played host to Preakness week festivities, and Virginia-bred horses were well represented at Baltimore’s “Old Hilltop” with an array of wins and runner-up finishes.

Queen Caroline, Cat Fiftyfive, Do What I Say and Andrasta all got to Pimlico’s winners circle Preakness weekend while Hooligan and Ring Knocker earned runner-ups. Exaggerated also took third in one of Saturday’s under card stakes.

Queen Caroline won the 2nd race at Pimlico on… Continue reading →

The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training gets underway May 23 at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium and as has been the trend in all public equine auctions, there is expected to be stiff competition for the upper echelon lots and an uncertain market for the middle price ranges.

Unlike the three juvenile sales held already this year in Florida and one in California, the F-T sale draws from the East Coast and Midlantic regions where horses bred… Continue reading →

William M. “Bill” Backer, who after teaching the world that sharing a Coke could bring people together imparted his passion for Thoroughbreds, died Friday, May 13, in Warrenton, Va.

Backer, who was 89, owned Smitten Farm near The Plains, Va., and was a Jockey Club member.

A member of the Advertising Hall of Fame, Backer was best known for creating the “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” in 1971 for Coca Cola, which was more recently featured in… Continue reading →

The Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association (VHBPA) and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) today announced plans to implement a new Owner’s Bonus program that will reward owners of Virginia-bred horses that win an overnight race at  Mid-Atlantic region racetracks. The new bonus program, slated to begin July 1st, will add a 25% bonus to the purse earnings of any Virginia-bred… Continue reading →

The Virginia Thoroughbred Association held its 38th annual Championship Awards reception Friday night at the VTA’s trackside Turf Club Tent on the eve of Saturday’s Virginia Gold Cup Race card. Here is a rundown on the winners for 2015.

The Virginia Gold Cup staged one of the richest days of racing ever on the National Steeplechase Association’s spring schedule, and leading owner Irv Naylor took away much of the glory on Saturday as well as a healthy chunk  of the purse money.

First, Team Naylor struck in the $75,000 David Semmes Memorial (Gr. 2) with Charminster, who ran one of the best races of his career and tallied by 3 3/4 lengths.

Then came the $100,000 Virginia Gold… Continue reading →