News

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

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. Virginia-Bred/Sired Applicants To register your Virginia Bred or Virginia Sired yearling please visit the following website: https://services.easterassociates.com/thoroughbred/home Please review the following PDF for important information regarding the event. VTA-Futurity-Information-2026Download Please mail or email all entries, current coggins, and W-9’s to Kiersten ...

Readers of the new book “Eagle Point Farm – A Legacy of Grit and Grace” by DonnaDennehy can saddle up for an unforgettable ride with one very determined Virginiahorsewoman. Donna Gilman Dennehy, at the age of 19, took the reins of her family’sThoroughbred horse farm in Ashland, Virginia and led it on a 50-year journey throughtriumphs and trying times.   “Eagle Point Farm – A Legacy of Grit and Grace,” published by Dementi MilestonePublishing, 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 erain Ashland, such ...

~ Following a sold-out Virginia Derby in March, the 2026 Summer Season resumes June 25 with ten weeks of Thursday-Sunday racing; Exciting promotions and entertainment promise fans an unforgettable day at the races ~ NEW KENT, Va. (May 26, 2026)—Following an historic and record-breaking March meet in which more than 9,700 fans watched Incredibolt win the 2026 Virginia Derby and secure his spot in the Kentucky Derby, live racing will return to Colonial Downs in one month on Thursday, June 25 with a record setting schedule, a new day of weekend racing each week, unique entertainment and promotions, and high-stakes thoroughbred racing. Colonial Downs ...

~ Job fairs at track each Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6pm through June 18 and Saturday, May 30 from 12-3pm; Variety of on- and off- track positions available beginning at $15+/hour ~ As summer racing season approaches, Colonial Downs is adding team members for a variety of seasonal roles at Virginia’s premier thoroughbred racetrack! Team members get to experience the excitement of live thoroughbred racing and support the track operations and guest experience in a variety of roles, including jobs directly related to racing operations. Colonial Downs in New Kent County is currently hiring for a range of positions—both on and off the ...