At its December 15 meeting, the Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) approved an expanded and adjusted 48-day live racing season for Colonial Downs Racetrack in 2026. This will be the most live racing days ever held in one season at Colonial in its nearly thirty-year history.
To make live racing more accessible to Virginia race fans and families, each race week throughout the summer will feature an additional day of weekend racing with a new Thursday through Sunday schedule. Standard post time for race days will be 12:30 PM. The 2025 meet featured a Wednesday thru Saturday schedule.
The season will begin with a special three-day Virginia Derby meet on March 12-14 anchored by the $500,000 Derby on Saturday, March 14. After a sold-out 2025 race that drew more than 8,000 race fans to Virginia’s premier thoroughbred racetrack, the stakes will again serve as Virginia’s only Kentucky Derby qualifier race with the winning horse securing a spot in the field for the 152nd Kentucky Derby at historic Churchill Downs.
Following the March meet, the racing season will continue with 45 days of live racing each Thursday through Sunday from June 25 through a special day of racing on Labor Day, Monday, September 7. The summer meet will include the annual Colonial Downs Festival of Racing with the iconic Arlington Million, the Old Dominion Derby, and additional high-profile graded stakes races throughout the summer.
“With a Kentucky Derby qualifier, new weekend race days, and the biggest racing schedule in track history, 2026 promises to be an unforgettable season at Colonial Downs,” said Frank Hopf, Senior Director of Racing Operations. “We cannot wait to welcome horsemen from around the country to Virginia for another season of competition.”
Hopf addressed VRC Commissioners at the meeting and noted some positive takeaways from the 2025 campaign. He said the $6.5 million handle on Virginia Derby Day — the first time the Derby was contested on dirt — was a record and that the top two finishers, American Promise & Render Judgment, went on to compete in the “Run for the Roses”. Tickets for the 2026 Virginia Derby went on sale November 10 and to date, 2,600 tickets have been sold. In comparison, the 2025 edition had 1,100 tickets sold as of February 1 — and it still resulted in an advance sale sellout.
Hopf said a total of $110 million was bet over this year’s 44-day meet which established a record. A new 40-person backstretch dormitory opened in time for the summer meet which increased horsemen housing capacity to 240 people. Colonial received more stall and dorm applications than there was space for. He praised the efforts of Racing Secretary Dan Bork and the race office staff who improved the track’s overnight programs. Hopf added the track expanded its capacity in the third floor Jockey Club Dining Room from 324 to 524 by removing higher limit HHR terminals to free up space for track attendees.
When asked about the upcoming meet schedule change — from Wednesday thru Saturday to a Thursday thru Sunday weekly slate instead — Hopf said “It looked like the regular patrons chose either Wednesday or Thursday to attend, but not both days. We felt by switching out Wednesday with Sunday and offering full weekend cards throughout the summer that more fans would be encouraged to attend.”
Virginia HBPA Executive Director Glen Berman also spoke at the VRC meeting and said his group has secured a horsemen’s contract with Colonial heading into the 2026 season. He noted four key points in his presentation.
Stability, with48 race days spread between two seasons over five different months.
Quality, with a Grade 1 Stakes leading the way. The Arlington Million will continue to anchor Colonial’s signature Festival of Racing card which produced a record $10.4 million wagering handle in 2025. Other graded stakes on the under card that day include the G2 Beverly D and G2 Secretariat.
Investment, with infrastructure improvements in the paddock, turf course, irrigation system and handicap accessibility to some of the backstretch areas. Current pavers in the saddling paddock will be replaced with new ones — not just in the walking ring area but in paddock stalls and on the path to the track entrance/exit area. The paddock surface will also be excavated and backfilled, and additional drainage will be added. Turf course drainage in the east end of the track will be improved with plans to have that in place by 2027. The extra time will avoid any disruption during the upcoming season. The overall turf course irrigation system project is in its final phase and will be completed by race time. Improved wheelchair access to the paddock and backstretch areas like the race office and horsemen’s building will be in place for the meet as well.
Growth, with flexibility to expand the number of racing dates in 2027 based on performance of Colonial’s Historical Horse Racing (HHR) terminals. There are currently 4,867 machines deployed at various Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums around the state including 1,650 at The Rose Gaming Resort & Hotel in Dumfries and 1,199 at the Richmond location.
Berman also noted that horse shuttles will operate again on race days from Fair Hill, and possibly from Laurel on days when the Virginia and Maryland meets don’t overlap. Initially, Laurel’s spring schedule will conflict with the New Kent track’s slate on two days — March 13 & 14.
Entries will again be taken one week in advance of each actual race day. For the spring meet, Hopf plans to open the stable area on Saturday March 7 with training available the next day. For the summer meet, the stable area will open two weeks out and stay open one week after the last race day. Training will be available seven days a week.
Details on a plan for steeplechase racing in the 2026 summer meet are still being worked on. Options include continuing the program like this past season — where jump races took place on Thursday’s before the flat portion of Colonial’s card began — or running jump races on separate days away from flat race cards. The Virginia Gold Cup, which offers pari-mutuel wagering, was awarded their traditional dates at the VRC meeting. Their spring meet will take place on Saturday May 2 and the fall session is slated for October 24.
***************
Dr. Richard Harden, Long Time Virginia Equine Vet, Recognized at VRC Meeting
Members of the Virginia Racing Commission recognized Dr. Richard Harden for over two decades of service to the Virginia Racing Commission and Virginia horse racing industry at its December meeting.
Dr. Harden brought his extensive expertise as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine to the Commission, serving in critical roles including Commission Veterinarian and Equine Medical Director. Throughout his tenure, Dr. Harden was a steadfast advocate for the health, safety and welfare of the equine athlete, ensuring that the highest standards of veterinary care and integrity were maintained at Virginia’s racetracks. A proclamation was presented to Dr. Harden noting the Commission’s “appreciation for his years of faithful service and significant contributions to the horse racing industry in the Commonwealth.”