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Michael G. Motion was a renowned international bloodstock agent and a pioneering figure in the thoroughbred horse racing industry. The father of top U.S. trainer Graham Motion, he passed away peacefully on August 14, 2025, at the age of 95. A British native, Motion and his wife Josephine (Jo), who herself was a trailblazer in the sport, were well-known on both sides of the Atlantic. In the 1960s, they established their own operation, Herringswell Manor Stud, near Newmarket, England, a name which their son, Graham, later adopted for his successful American stable. Throughout his career, Michael G. Motion served as a farm ...

Meet 24-year-old Tanner Reisman and 31-year-old Timothy Schmidt, the youthful brains behind a new company called Next Gen Thoroughbreds, whose goal is to introduce horse racing to a younger generation via tools like a weekly podcast and social media network. Their passion is to not just create new racing fans, but to open the eyes of young people to potential career opportunities in the industry — and ensure a future for the sport they love. The two were at Colonial Downs August 9 for the Arlington Million and entire “Festival of Racing” card, to experience the New Kent track first hand ...

Michael Trombetta’s assistant, Tana Aubrey, pictured receiving the leading training award at Colonial in 2023 Poised for repeat titles, jockey Ben Curtis and trainer Mike Trombetta lead their respective standings halfway through the summer meet at Colonial Downs. Through 20 days of the 41-day meet, Curtis leads all riders with 24 wins from 90 mounts, a 27% win rate. He capped a six-win week by giving Giocoso a perfect trip to win the Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes on Festival of Racing Day. Curtis, who moved his tack from England less than two years ago, surpassed $10 million in North American earnings ...

Gigante, the 2023 Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes winner, returns to Colonial Downs on Aug. 16, 2025, as the morning line favorite in the $150,000 Find Stakes. (Credit: Coady Media) A pair of sibling stakes are scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 16 at Colonial Downs, headlined by the return of L and N Racing and Clark Brewster’s millionaire Gigante to New Kent for the $125,000 Find. He will face five older male foes. Along with the $125,000 All Brandy, which drew eight older fillies and mares, both added-money events are restricted to Virginia- and Maryland-bred or -sired Thoroughbreds and will be run ...

Meet Ed Bubolz, the starter at Colonial Downs who works intently in the mornings just so he is able push a button nine times at different points of the afternoon. Bubolz oversees every detail associated with loading a field of horses into the starting gate prior to a race and then hoping for — and witnessing — a fair and equitable start for all. Given the surface and distance changes of each race, his work area can get quite hectic and stressful — especially since Colonial has three different courses — the 1-1/4 miles dirt track, an inner turf course and ...

Written by Nick Hahn, originally posted on theracingbiz.com on 8/4/2025 Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin handed out a Spirit of Virginia Award to the James River Horse Foundation on July 31. The awards recognize Virginians’ uncommon contributions to their fields. Only six are given out each year. In the spirit of the morning ceremony held outside Barn 4 of the State Farm Work Center in Goochland County, it may have the First Couple feeling as if they were receiving a gift. “It was my job here at the barn to provide the daily care for the horses, but at the end ...

~ More than $2.8 million in purses were won with a Virginia record of $10.46 million waged from all sources The August 9 “Festival of Racing” at Colonial Downs in New Kent featured $2.8 million in prize money and $10.46 million wagered from all sources, both new one-day records for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The day also featured Colonial Downs’ first Kentucky Derby winner on the track with 2024 winner Mystik Dan, as well as the last three Kentucky Derby winning jockeys.  Fort Washington wins the Arlington Million (Coady Media). “With a record amount of prize money, a record amount of wagers from around ...

We already know Paynted by Nancy as the 2024 Virginia Breeder’s Fund Yearling Futurity Grand Champion. Joined by her owner/breeder Quest Realty, trainer Susan Cooney, and the whole crew from the farm, it was a special day ending with the Grand Champion ribbon, a trophy, and a check for placing first in the Virginia-Bred/Sired Fillies Class. 2024 Virginia Breeder’s Fund Yearling Futurity Grand Champion, Virginia-Bred Filly Paynted by Nancy, joined by her owner & breeder Dan Wukich and Quest Realty, trainer Susan cooney (center), 2024 judge Ferris Allen (second from right), and VTA Executive Director Jill Byrne (far right). Hannah Jones ...

Courtesy of The Racing Biz, written by Frank Vespe A pair of promising 2-year-olds kept their records spotless Saturday (August 2) at Colonial Downs with stakes wins in Virginia-restricted company, as Just Philtored held off a determined challenger in the $100,000 Keswick Stakes for fillies and Trendsetter came flying late to capture the $100,000 Hickory Tree Stakes. Just Philtored prevailed in the $100,000 Keswick Stakes with Mychel Sanchez up (Coady Media). Privately purchased following a sharp debut win at Laurel Park in May, Just Philtored showed her new connections immediate returns with a game neck victory in the five-and-a-half furlong Keswick. Ridden confidently ...

Meet horse trainer Danielle Hodsdon who has saddled horses on and off for 19 years and has reached the winner’s circle 14 times. Her history at Colonial Downs goes back decades though. She rode in her first sanctioned steeplechase race there — and broke her collarbone in that event — during the infamous Strawberry Hill Races in 2000. She won her first race as a trainer at the New Kent track in 2006. And most recently, this past Wednesday in fact, a horse she trains finished first in a $70,000 race at Colonial literally minutes before another horse she trains won a ...