COLONIAL DOWNS ANNOUNCES STAKES SCHEDULE FOR SUMMER 2026

NEW KENT, VA (May 12, 2026) – A sturdy schedule of 35 stakes races and handicaps price greater than $6.5 million, topped by the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing on Saturday, August 1, is on faucet when the Virginia racetrack opens its doorways for a 45-day summer time season on Thursday, June 25.

The 2026 schedule will provide reside racing each Thursday via Sunday, plus a particular vacation card to deliver down the curtain on the season on Labor Day, Monday, September 7. Overnight races will provide $70,000 purses for open maiden particular weight contests ($87,500 for Virginia-restricted races), whereas allowance races will characteristic purses as much as $80,000 for open runners and $90,000 for his or her Virginia-restricted counterparts.

The Colonial Downs Festival of Racing is highlighted by the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Grade 2 $500,000 Beverly D. and the Grade 2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes. The Million might be run at 1¼ miles, the Beverly D. might be contested at 1-3/16 miles and the Secretariat covers one mile. The famend trio of races are slated to be run over Colonial’s acclaimed Secretariat Turf Course.

Five further stakes races pepper the Festival Day program: the $150,000 Van Clief (Listed) for older runners at 5½ furlongs on the turf and its sister race the $150,000 Andy Guest; the $100,000 Petramalo Mile, a one-mile filth race for 3-year-olds and its distaff counterpart , the $100,000 Tyson Gilpin at seven furlongs; and the $100,000 Reigh Count at seven furlongs on the filth.

Colonial’s different graded stakes race, the Grade 3 $500,000 Old Dominion Derby, is slated for closing day on Labor Day. The Old Dominion Derby is a 1-1/8 miles turf race for 3-year-olds and headlines a sextet of turf stakes which additionally contains the $250,000 Old Dominion Oaks (Listed) for sophomore fillies at additionally 1-1/8 miles; the $150,000 Colonial Cup for 3-year-olds and up touring 1½ miles; the $150,000 Da Hoss for older runners sprinting 5½ panels; and a pair of checks for the juvenile set – the the 1-1/16 mile $125,000 Kitten’s Joy and the 5½-furlong $125,000 Rosie’s Stakes.

Four new $100,000 stakes races have been added for the expanded season – the Maggie Walker for fillies and mares at a mile on the filth on Saturday, July 18; The Yorktown for older horses at 9 furlongs on the primary observe on Saturday, July 25; plus the Colonial Turf Dash for 3-year-old turf sprinters and its feminine counterpart the Shenandoah Turf Dash each at six furlongs on Saturday, August 8.

There is another open firm stakes race on the 2026 docket, the $100,000 Love Sign on Saturday, July 25 for fillies and mares sprinting six furlongs on the filth.

Virginia-bred, -sired, and/or -restricted runners get loads of alternatives all through the summer time beginning June 27, the primary Saturday of the meet, with the $125,000 Edward P. Evans for older horses at 1-1/16 miles on turf its distaff counterpart the $125,000 Brookmeade.

Two weeks later turf sprinters are spotlighted within the $125,000 Punch Line and the $125,000 Glenn Petty, each at 5½ furlongs, the latter race restricted to females.

A pair of 2-year-old races for Virginia-restricted runners – the $100,000 Hickory Tree and its sister race the $100,000 Keswick – headline the Sunday, August 2 program. Each race affords $50,000 in further cash for Virginia-bred/sired horses and might be run over 5½ furlongs on the filth.

Later within the meet older Va.-restricted horses are featured within the $100,000 Meadow Stable Handicap for older turf sprinters on Saturday, August 15 and the distaff model, the $100,000 Camptown Handicap two weeks afterward Saturday, August 29. Each race affords the identical Virginia-bred/sired bonus as above.

The last races restricted to Virginia runners – the $100,000 Bert Allen Handicap and the $100,000 Nellie Mae Cox Handicap – high the Saturday, September 5 card. The races, every of which supply $50,000 in further purses for Virginia bred/sired individuals, are 1-1/16 miles turf occasions with the latter restricted to fillies and mares.

With continued collaboration between Virginia and Maryland stakeholders, six stakes races restricted to Maryland- and Virginia-bred or sired horses start on the second Saturday of the meet on Independence Day with the $125,000 Star De Naskra for 3-year-olds and $125,000 the Miss Disco for sophomore fillies with every race slated for seven furlongs on the filth. Two extra are slated for Saturday, August 15 – the $125,000 Find for older horses at 1-1/16 miles on the turf and its distaff counterpart, $125,000 All Brandy on the identical distance. The remaining two are 5½-furlong turf races for 2-year-olds: the $125,000 Jamestown and its sister race, the $125,000 Dolley Madison scheduled for Saturday, August 29.

For the second straight yr, Colonial Downs will host qualifying races for the Claiming Crown. The high two finishers in every race will routinely qualify for the Claiming Crown which might be held at Churchill Downs on Saturday, November 14.

Eight races underneath Starter Handicap situations might be run on Saturday, August 22: the $50,000 Iron Horse Qualifier (1-1/16m filth); $50,000 Ready Rocket Express Qualifier (6f filth); $50,000 Glass Slipper Qualifier (1m filth); $62,500 Rapid Transit Qualifier (7f filth); $75,000 Canterbury Qualifier (5½f turf); $75,000 Tiara Qualifier (1-1/16m turf); $87,500 Emerald Qualifier (1-1/16m turf); and the $100,000 Jewel (1-1/8m filth).

Condition books and stall purposes can be found on-line at www.colonialdowns.com underneath the horsemen’s tab in addition to at Equibase.com.