Fifteen years after the historic dispersal of Edward P. Evans’ Spring Hill Farm, the Virginia operation’s legacy continues to heavily influence the Keeneland September yearling sale. Following Evans’ death in late 2010, the market fiercely bid on his farm’s stock in 2011, resulting in 221 horses selling for over $62.3 million—the highest-grossing North American Thoroughbred dispersal at a public auction in history.
Today, the ripple effects of that monumental sale are still shaping the top tiers of the Thoroughbred industry. The dispersal spread elite bloodlines across the market, paving the way for the massive commercial success of pantheon-level sires like Gun Runner and Quality Road, whose descendants continue to command premium prices at auction. As the article notes, if Evans’ operation had continued and kept its horses as homebreds, the landscape of modern racing and breeding might look entirely different. Instead, the story of the sport over the past 15 years has been largely written by the ongoing impact of this single Virginia farm.
Middleburg-based bloodstock agent Chris Gracie showcases the power of the Virginia-Certified program at Saratoga with Forego Stakes (G1) contenders Book’em Danno and Bring the Smoke, alongside his bloodstock connection to Travers Stakes (G1) hopeful Ocelli.
Apprentice jockey Taylor Kingsley secured her first career stakes victory aboard Quiet Street in the $100,000 Lady Erie Stakes for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Raised in a racing family, Kingsley gained international experience riding flat races in Ireland before transitioning to the U.S. professional circuit. Now based in the Mid-Atlantic, she is currently riding at Colonial Downs in Virginia as she continues to build momentum on her promising career path.
Your voice is needed regarding conservation on working farms!
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) is currently evaluating the Agriculture Best Management Practices Cost Share Program, which is administered through your local Soil and Water Conservation District. As part of this review, they’re asking farmers (which incluces horse farms) across Virginia to share their experiences and perspectives.
Whether you’ve participated in the program or not, your feedback will help JLARC better understand awareness of the program and conservation efforts on working farms. (Note: This is not the same survey as the recent Chesapeake Bay conservation practices survey.)
Your input can make a difference. If you’re a Virginia farmer, we encourage you to participate and share this opportunity with others in your community.
Click here for the survey – it takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete and the deadline is August 3, 2026. Responses are confidential—no personal identifying information is collected, only your locality.
Colonial Downs, in collaboration with National Steeplechase Association, will host its first steeplechase-only race card in 13 years on Monday, June 29 — capping off opening week festivities. The day features a special first post of 10:45 AM and will be highlighted by the renamed Theodora A. Randolph Stakes which kicks off a new “Triple Tiara” jump series.
The novel three-leg series is comprised of Grade 2, $100,000 races for fillies & mares 4 years of age & up at the 2-1/4 miles distance. The second Tiara leg will be held on Thursday, July 23 (The Life’s Illusion Stakes) followed by the final leg on Thursday, September 3 (The Marion duPont Scott).
Colonial previously played host to the Strawberry Hill Races — a full card steeplechase program and tailgate party that went along with it — which often attracted close to 20,000 spectators each running from 2000 thru 2011. The annual event was considered by many to be Richmond, Virginia’s first rite of spring. Vehicle tailgating took place along the inside and outside rail of the track’s stone dust harness surface while jump racing action took place on the turf course.
In terms of the racing calendar, Strawberry Hill Races were held three weeks before the Virginia Gold Cup each year. Prior to its shift to the New Kent oval, the event was held at several other venues including the grounds of Richmond’s NASCAR track. In all, 79 editions of Strawberry Hill were contested.
“The move from Richmond Raceway to Colonial Downs was great, and a big improvement facility wise”, said Sue Mullins, former longtime Equine Activities Director for the Atlantic Rural Exposition which put on Strawberry Hill, in addition to the State Fair. “Colonial’s track and facilities were and still are first class. At the Raceway complex, we had the challenge of maintaining our steeplechase course for a one-day event. Spectator parking for NASCAR races actually took place right on our grass track surface. At Colonial, we made use of the fourth- floor sky suites, and the permanent infrastructure there was great. The big challenge was transferring spectator tailgating rail spaces from one venue to the other. Over the decades, that rail space at Strawberry Hill was like owning a piece of real estate. It was passed down to family heirs.”
There won’t be tailgating at Colonial Downs on June 29, but perhaps a new steeplechase tradition will be born.
With Virginia’s summer racing season on the horizon, Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing Operations at Colonial Downs, has been busy preparing for the longest meet ever at Colonial Downs. The campaign will run from June 25 – September 7 with racing every Thursday thru Sunday afternoon.
Featured returning flat events include the Festival of Racing card on August 1 and the Old Dominion Derby program on Labor Day, September 7. The Festival card includes the G1 Arlington Million, G2 Beverly D. and G2 Secretariat Stakes. The closing day program includes the $500,000 Old Dominion Derby (G3), $250,000 Old Dominion Oaks and $150,000 Colonial Cup. Several additional under card stakes will complement the showcase trio each day.
Hopf spoke of the robust stakes schedule this summer which features 35 stakes worth more than $6.5 million.
“As we get more race dates, the stakes program is going to continue to evolve,” he said. “Adding more stakes for Virginia-restricted horses, for Virginia and Maryland-bred and -sired horses, and with open stakes, elevates the whole program.”
The track will introduce four new open stakes at $100,000 purse levels, including the Maggie Walker, Yorktown, Colonial Turf Dash and Shenandoah Turf Dash. The $100,000 Love Sign, an open stakes sprint for fillies & mares, returns. Continued collaboration between Virginia and Maryland stakeholders has resulted in six stakes restricted to Maryland- and Virginia-bred or sired horses. On tap is the Star De Naskra, Miss Disco, Find, All Brandy, Jamestown and Dolley Madison.
Hopf is particularly excited about a change in the weekly race schedule which replaces Wednesday cards with Sunday afternoon programs.
“I’m pretty bullish on where we’re going with family friendly activities on Sundays and related marketing opportunities,” he said. “On Saturdays, we can focus on our racing program and offer key stakes. On Sunday, we get another weekend day to pivot and provide a cost-effective outing for mom, dad and the kids. I’m very excited to see how Sunday turns out. We want to continue to build a live program and crowd. It is very important to us. We’ll get plenty of simulcast exposure on Sundays too with Saratoga and Del Mar running.”
Fresh on the heels of a second straight sellout crowd at the Virginia Derby in mid-March, Hopf was beyond pleased with the turnout and momentum it provided.
“In a best-case scenario, I never could have imagined the kind of crowd we’ve seen at the first two spring Derbies,” Hopf said. “It was great how excited people were for the race and especially day of, how people stayed for the entire card. That will really help us carry momentum into the summer meet. You can see it now by how well ticket sales are going. We’re expanding big event days into summer with the Festival of Racing and Old Dominion Derby Day programs. We want to keep on building those events.”
Hopf has guided the track through an increase in the number of race days per week, from three in 2024, to four per week in 2025 and again this summer.
“Honestly, any time you go from racing three days a week to four days, you need to be mindful of participation,” he noted. “Having a full barn area has helped out for sure. Cooperation with Maryland has been a benefit to both of us. It looks like four-day race weeks are here to stay and we’ll keep building on the field size.”
“We’re very excited to have Dan Bork back for a second season as racing secretary,” he added. “Dan knows how to put a condition book together and how to work with the horsemen. We’re wrapping up the stall allocation process and are overfilled again with applications from both returning trainers and new outfits looking to come for the first time. It’s exciting to see people focusing on this meet and to be part of what’s going on here.”
New to the Colonial Downs mix this summer is a pari-mutuel race card on Monday June 29 dedicated solely to steeplechase racing. This will be the first “jump only” card at the New Kent track since the Dogwood Classic — which replaced the Strawberry Hill Races — and was last held in April of 2013. That one-day card will include seven races worth a combined $375,000 in purse money. Featured race is the renamed $100,000 Theodora A. Randolph filly & mare stakes, the first leg of a newly created “Triple Tiara” stakes series. There will also be a $25,000 flat race for jumpers on the card.
Steeplechase racing will continue on three Thursdays later in the meet, each featuring a trio of races. The July 23 card is highlighted by the second leg of the Triple Tiara, the $100,000 Life’s Illusion. Jump competition continues on August 13 and September 3. The latter program features the third Tiara leg, the $100,000 Marion DuPont Scott which will be run at Colonial for the first time. All three of the filly and mare stakes have been given Grade 2 status.
“Having been here for a few seasons now, we’ve been able to take a look at how jump racing has been presented and then debated about what works best,” said Hopf. “We want to find the right niche for steeplechase, especially since wagering has been offered on those races the past two seasons. We’re going to dedicate a full day to the jumpers to see how that works and to give them that opportunity. There is a strong history of jump racing in Virginia and I’m appreciative of that tradition.”
Dr. Al Griffin, President of the National Steeplechase Association, thinks the 2026 plan could a win-win situation.
“Colonial had been carding several steeplechase races on Thursdays during the flat race scenario the past two years and Saratoga had been doing their jump race program on Wednesdays so there was a lot of back and forth among horses, horsemen and officials which was a little bit tough. The one-day meet on June 29th gives us a chance to ship in a good number of horses and riders and it creates an opportunity where logistics greatly improve. It should also help Colonial with their setup plans. We’re really excited about that one-day opportunity.”
“The other three steeplechase days this summer in New Kent have a focus on filly and mare races,” he continued. “Colonial is going to kill it with the Triple Tiara Series and it’s the perfect place to do it.”
The Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA) announced that a record $500,000 in bonus monies will be available annually to standardbred foals that participate in its lucrative Certified Residency Program beginning with the 2026 foal crop and beyond. The current $400,000 bonus level still applies to the 2025 foal crop, whose owners have less than a month to get their horses registered in the program.
The incentive program began in 2019. Horses become eligible to compete for a bonus pool in their two-and three-year-old racing campaigns if they are raised in Virginia for at least six consecutive months before they turn two years of age. Registration must be done before horses arrive. The deadline for 2025 foals to enroll is July 1.
Individual horse awards — from their freshman and sophomore seasons — are based on points accumulated throughout the year in overnight races anywhere in the country. A point equates to one dollar earned with a cap of 5,000 per race. Points are doubled from races held in Virginia, during the Shenandoah Downs spring and fall meets and at the 4-day Shenandoah County Fair summer stand. The per-race cap increases to 10,000 points from those races.
At the end of the year, total points from all participating horses in each age division are accumulated and divided into the available bonus pool — which has been $400,000 — to determine a per-point dollar figure reward to each horse.
The VHHA has a list of registered farms and training centers that accept Certified horses for those minimum six-month stays on their website (www.vhha.net) though horses can reside anywhere as long as it is in the Commonwealth.
Those locations are as far north as the Elmington Farm in Berryville, as far south as the Mike Anderson Farm in Abingdon, as far east as the Tidewater Equestrian Center in Gloucester and the Powhatan Plantation in King George, and as far west as Bees Sporthorses in Edinburg and Betsy Brown’s Farm in Woodstock. The central part of the state offers the Finish Line Farm just outside of Williamsburg, the Rockin G Stable in Chase City and the William Byler Farm in Nathalie — among many others in all directions.
The VHHA’s other two incentive programs also took a major step forward earlier this year. Final leg purses for Virginia Breeder’s Stakes increased to $100,000 — from $80,000 — and final leg purses for Virginia Sire Stakes races increased to $100,000 — from $60,000.
Virginia’s 2026 pari-mutuel harness racing schedule resumes September 19 and continues thru November 1 with racing every Saturday and Sunday at 1:05 PM. A four-day non-wagering meet will also be contested during the Shenandoah County Fair from September 2-5. Details on the meets will be updated at shenandoahdowns.com.
Colonial Downs’ stable area will open Wednesday, June 10, welcoming returning horsemen and new arrivals in preparation for the 2026 summer thoroughbred meet. Training is scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 11.
Live racing returns to Colonial Downs in less than one month on Thursday, June 25, kicking off a record-setting season that will feature an expanded schedule. The 2026 summer meet will offer 45 days of live racing, conducted every Thursday through Sunday from June 25 through a special Labor Day program on Monday, September 7. The schedule represents the most live racing days in the nearly 30-year history of Colonial Downs Racetrack.
Colonial Downs will offer a robust stakes schedule featuring 35 stakes races and handicaps worth more than $6.5 million, highlighted by the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing on Saturday, August 1. Festival Day is anchored by the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Grade 2 Beverly D. and the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes, along with five additional stakes races. The meet concludes on Labor Day, September 7, with the Grade 3 Old Dominion Derby and Listed Old Dominion Oaks headlining a six-stakes closing day program.
Horsemen are reminded that nominations close Wednesday, June 10, for a pair of opening weekend Virginia-restricted stakes events. The $125,000 Edward P. Evans Stakes for Virginia-bred, Virginia-sired and/or Virginia-restricted older horses at 1-1/16 miles on the turf, along with its distaff counterpart, the $125,000 Brookmeade Stakes, will be contested on Saturday, June 27, the first Saturday of the meet.
In addition to the lucrative stakes schedule, Colonial Downs will offer strong overnight purses throughout the meet. Open maiden special weight races will carry purses of $70,000, while Virginia-restricted maiden special weights will compete for $87,500. Allowance purses will reach up to $80,000 for open company runners and $90,000 for Virginia-restricted competitors.
Condition books are available online atwww.colonialdowns.com under the Horsemen tab as well as at Equibase.com.
Due to the predicted heat index for Wednesday September 2nd, the Warrenton Horse Show management has been able to accommodate moving the Futurity up to an estimated 10:30 AM start…We request everyone arrive by 10:00 AM to insure a prompt start.
Join us at the Warrenton Horse Show Grounds at 12:00 PM on Wednesday, September 2nd. Show off your, registered, Virginia-Bred, Virginia-Sired, or Virginia-Certified yearlings! The address to the grounds is 60 E Shirley Ave., Warrenton, VA 20186
Virginia-Certified Applicants
Horses in the Virginia-certified program must have completed their 6-month residency prior to September 1st, have completed the VTA registration, and be registered with the Jockey Club.
Please mail or email all entries, current coggins, and W-9’s to Kiersten Wall. Once received you will be sent a confirmation email. If you do not have confirmation of your entries being received by August 26th please call or email Kiersten Wall at Kiersten.Wall@easterassociates.com, 434.326.9843.
Brian Graves to Judge the Twenty-Fifth Virginia Yearling Futurity
We are honored to welcome Brian Graves, General Manager of the historic Gainesway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, as the official judge for our 2026 Yearling Futurity.
One of the most widely respected horsemen in the Thoroughbred industry, Brian’s career is a masterclass in building success from the ground up. He began his journey at Gainesway over two decades ago working as a groom. Driven by a powerful work ethic, a sharp eye for a horse, and an uncompromising commitment to integrity, he steadily rose through the ranks. He served as Yearling Manager and later as the Director of Public Sales, where he transformed Gainesway’s sales division into a perennial powerhouse at major public auctions. In 2019, Brian was named General Manager of the 1,500-acre historic property, where he now oversees the farm’s elite stallion roster—headlined by the legendary three-time North American champion sire Tapit—as well as its extensive breeding, boarding, and racing operations.
While Brian operates at the highest corporate echelons of the international Thoroughbred market today, his foundational roots are deeply embedded in the Virginia horse community. Brian is the son of the late, legendary horseman Bill Graves, a proud Virginia native who grew up show jumping and foxhunting in the state before becoming a dominant force in the Thoroughbred pinhooking and sales industry. Carrying on the legacy of his father’s lifelong connection to the state, Brian brings a deep appreciation for the quality, grit, and tradition of Virginia-bred and raised horses.
With an unmatched eye for conformation and a lifetime spent evaluating elite young thoroughbreds, Brian brings a wealth of expertise to the center ring for this year’s Futurity.
Readers of the new book “Eagle Point Farm – A Legacy of Grit and Grace” by Donna Dennehy can saddle up for an unforgettable ride with one very determined Virginia horsewoman. Donna Gilman Dennehy, at the age of 19, took the reins of her family’s Thoroughbred horse farm in Ashland, Virginia and led it on a 50-year journey through triumphs and trying times.
“Eagle Point Farm – A Legacy of Grit and Grace,” published by Dementi Milestone Publishing, offers a heartfelt testament to Donna’s abiding love for her land, family and horses. Exceptional photographs capture that feeling and evoke nostalgic memories of a bygone era in Ashland, such as the early days of the Camptown Races. The book is both an inside look at running a training stable and an inspiring family saga. Written in Donna’s straightforward style and laced with her trademark dry wit, it is hard to decide which are more colorful – her relatives or the racehorses.
Today, Eagle Point Farm, founded by Donna’s father Ed Gilman in 1947, ranks as one of the foremost Thoroughbred training operations on the East Coast. Donna has handed the reins over to her daughter Karen Dennehy, and they work together as the second and third generation to continue the proud heritage of their horse farm and homeplace. To order a copy of “Eagle Point Farm – A Legacy of Grit and Grace” please e-mail epf@eaglepointfarm.com. A graphic of the book cover is attached. Donna Dennehy is also available for speaking engagements.
