Racing dates for an expanded 2025 season at Colonial Downs were approved Dec. 3 by the Virginia Racing Commission. The 44-day schedule starts with a special three-day Virginia Derby meet from March 13-March 15 followed by the traditional summer meet from July 9 through Sept. 13.
The $500,000 Virginia Derby, a points race on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, will transition to the dirt and be held on March 15, anchoring a new three-day spring meet that will also include the $250,000 Virginia Oaks, a Kentucky Oaks points race. The winner in each race will receive 50 points to the Kentucky Derby (G1) and the Kentucky Oaks (G1), respectively. The second- through fifth-place finishers will earn 25-15-10-5 points on a sliding scale.
Post times during the three-day March meet will be at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14. The Virginia Derby day card on Saturday, March 15, will kick off at noon.
Additional reserved indoor and outdoor seating will be available for Virginia Derby Day. Ticket options for the Virginia Derby will be announced and go on sale to the public in the coming weeks, including a limited number of general admission tickets.
The summer schedule expands to 41 days for 2025 with racing four days per week, Wednesday through Saturday. Post time will be 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, with twilight racing offered every Friday with a 4 p.m. post time. Racing also will be offered on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.
The Colonial Downs Festival of Racing and its three graded stakes races is slated for Saturday, Aug. 9, and will have a special noon first post. Racing also will start at noon on Saturday, Sept. 6, for a stakes-laden card.
"We're excited to bring Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks qualifying races to Virginia for the first time in 2025," senior director of operations Frank Hopf said. "We look forward to an outstanding 2025 season with participation from horsemen not only from Virginia but also from throughout the Mid-Atlantic as we expand our summer dates."
The entire stakes schedule for the 2025 season will be made available in the coming weeks. The 2024 season offered approximately $650,000 in purses per day and are expected to be similar in 2025.
