Virginia Derby
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The Virginia Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the dirt held annually in March at Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia. The event currently carries a purse of $500,000. The race is formerly a Grade II turf race, for three-year-old's, but after Colonial Downs was acquired by Churchill Downs, the race was moved to the dirt and is ungraded for 2025. The Virginia Derby is a Kentucky Derby qualifying points race.
History
The inaugural running of the event took place on October 3, 1998 as part of the newly opened racetrack in Virginia known as Colonial Downs at a distance of <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles on the outer turf course.
The quality of the event consistently improved and in 2004 the American Graded Stakes Committee upgraded the classification to Grade III status.[1] That year the winner was Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's Kitten's Joy who later in the year captured the crown of U.S. Champion Male Turf Horse. The 2005 winner English Channel later in his career won the Breeders' Cup Turf and in 2007 was also crowned U.S. Champion Male Turf Horse.
In 2006 the event was upgraded to Grade II[2] which attracted the finest three-year-old turf horses with a massive US$1 million purse.
However the track ran into a dispute between track management and horsemen's organizations and the track closed after the 2013 meeting.[3]
The event was not held in 2014.[1]
In 2015 the event was moved to Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland and was renamed to the Commonwealth Derby and the distance was decreased to <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles.[1]
The event was down graded to Grade III in 2017.[1]
In 2018 the event was not held, but Virginia laws were amended with regard to funding horse racing and the Colonial Downs reopened in 2019 and the event was scheduled as the New Kent County Virginia Derby.[1]
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the track canceled the meeting prior to the running of the event.[4]
in 2025, Churchill Downs moved the Virginia Derby to the dirt and will be held each spring as a Road to the Kentucky Derby prep race.
Records
Speed:
- <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles: 1:59.62 - Red Giant (2007)
- <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles: 1:46.41 (new track record) - American Promise (2025)
Margins:
- <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />3+1⁄4 lengths – English Channel (2005)
Most wins by an owner:
- 3 - Peter Vegso (2002, 2003, 2006)
Most wins by a jockey:
- 3 - Edgar S. Prado (2002, 2003, 2004)
Most wins by a Trainer:
- 3 - Todd Pletcher (2005, 2007, 2022)
- 3 - William I. Mott (2002, 2003, 2006)
- 3 - Dale L. Romans (2004, 2010, 2012)
- 3 - H. Graham Motion (2017, 2019, 2021)
Winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At Colonial Downs – New Kent County Virginia Derby | ||||||||||
| 2025 | American Promise | Nik Juarez | D. Wayne Lukas | BC Stables | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.41 | $500,000 | III | ||
| 2024 | Deterministic | Manuel Franco | Christophe Clement | St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven C. Duncker & Vicarage Stable | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.76 | $504,000 | III | [5] | |
| 2023 | Integration | Kendrick Carmouche | Claude R. McGaughey III | West Point Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.41 | $504,000 | III | [6] | |
| 2022 | Capensis | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert V. LaPenta, Gainesway Stable, Winchell Thoroughbreds & Stonestreet Stables | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.15 | $305,000 | III | [7] | |
| 2021 | Wootton Asset (FR) | Jose L. Ortiz | H. Graham Motion | Madaket Stables | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.79 | $250,000 | III | [8] | |
| 2020 | Race not held | |||||||||
| 2019 | English Bee | Jorge A. Vargas Jr. | H. Graham Motion | Calumet Farm | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.94 | $250,000 | III | [9] | |
| 2018 | Race not held | |||||||||
| At Laurel Park – Commonwealth Derby | ||||||||||
| 2017 | Just Howard | Feargal Lynch | H. Graham Motion | Skeedattle Associates | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:45.81 | $200,000 | III | [10] | |
| 2016 | Deeply Undervalued | Manuel Franco | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William Lawrence | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.63 | $200,000 | II | [11] | |
| 2015 | One Go All Go | Ronald Hisby | Pavel Matejka | Preston Stables & Prestonwood Racing | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.10 | $400,000 | II | [12] | |
| 2014 | Race not held | |||||||||
| At Colonial Downs – Virginia Derby | ||||||||||
| 2013 | War Dancer | Alan Garcia | Kenneth G. McPeek | Magdalena Racing | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:03.57 | $500,000 | II | [13] | |
| 2012 | Silver Max | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | Mark Bacon & Dana Wells | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:04.05 | $594,000 | II | [14] | |
| 2011 | Air Support | Alex O. Solis | Claude R. McGaughey III | Stuart S. Janney III | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:00.80 | $600,000 | II | [15] | |
| 2010 | Paddy O'Prado | Kent J. Desormeaux | Dale L. Romans | Donegal Racing | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.58 | $600,000 | II | [16] | |
| 2009 | Battle of Hastings (GB) | Tyler Baze | Jeff Mullins | Michael House | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:03.29 | $750,000 | II | [17] | |
| 2008 | Gio Ponti | Garrett K. Gomez | Christophe Clement | Castleton Lyons | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.22 | $772,500 | II | [18] | |
| 2007 | Red Giant | Horacio Karamanos | Todd A. Pletcher | Peachtree Stable | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 1:59.62 | $1,000,000 | II | [19] | |
| 2006 | Go Between | Garrett K. Gomez | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 1:59.74 | $1,000,000 | II | [20] | |
| 2005 | English Channel | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | James T. Scatuorchio | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.57 | $750,000 | III | [21] | |
| 2004 | Kitten's Joy | Edgar S. Prado | Dale L. Romans | Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:01.22 | $500,000 | III | [22] | |
| 2003 | Silver Tree | Edgar S. Prado | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:01.11 | $500,000 | Listed | [23] | |
| 2002 | Orchard Park | Edgar S. Prado | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:03.10 | $500,000 | Listed | [24] | |
| 2001 | Potaro (IRE) | Brent E. Bartram | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.18 | $200,000 | Listed | [25] | |
| 2000 | Lightning Paces | Greg W. Hutton | John J. Robb | Tulip Hill Farm | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.18 | $200,000 | Listed | [26] | |
| 1999 | Phi Beta Doc | Ramon A. Dominguez | Robert W. Leonard | Dennis Foster & Robert W. Leonard | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 1:59.97 | $200,000 | Listed | [27] | |
| 1998 | Crowd Pleaser | Jean-Luc Samyn | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | <templatestyles src="Fraction/styles.css" />1+1⁄4 miles | 2:00.28 | $250,000 | Listed | [28] | |
See also
References
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