# Virginia Derby

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 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. 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 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.
The event was not held in 2014.
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 1+1⁄8 miles.
The event was down graded to Grade III in 2017.
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.
In 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the track canceled the meeting prior to the running of the event.
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:
* 1+1⁄4 miles: 1:59.62 - Red Giant (2007)
* 1+1⁄8 miles: 1:45.81 (new track record) - Just Howard (2017)
Margins:
* 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 | 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 | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:47.76 | $504,000 | III | |
| 2023 | Integration | Kendrick Carmouche | Claude R. McGaughey III | West Point Thoroughbreds & Woodford Racing | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.41 | $504,000 | III | |
| 2022 | Capensis | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd A. Pletcher | Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert V. LaPenta, Gainesway Stable, Winchell Thoroughbreds & Stonestreet Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.15 | $305,000 | III | |
| 2021 | Wootton Asset (FR) | Jose L. Ortiz | H. Graham Motion | Madaket Stables | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.79 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2020 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 2019 | English Bee | Jorge A. Vargas Jr. | H. Graham Motion | Calumet Farm | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:52.94 | $250,000 | III | |
| 2018 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| At Laurel Park – Commonwealth Derby ||||||||||
| 2017 | Just Howard | Feargal Lynch | H. Graham Motion | Skeedattle Associates | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:45.81 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2016 | Deeply Undervalued | Manuel Franco | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables & William Lawrence | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:46.63 | $200,000 | II | |
| 2015 | One Go All Go | Ronald Hisby | Pavel Matejka | Preston Stables & Prestonwood Racing | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:48.10 | $400,000 | II | |
| 2014 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| At Colonial Downs – Virginia Derby ||||||||||
| 2013 | War Dancer | Alan Garcia | Kenneth G. McPeek | Magdalena Racing | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:03.57 | $500,000 | II | |
| 2012 | Silver Max | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | Mark Bacon & Dana Wells | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:04.05 | $594,000 | II | |
| 2011 | Air Support | Alex O. Solis | Claude R. McGaughey III | Stuart S. Janney III | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:00.80 | $600,000 | II | |
| 2010 | Paddy O'Prado | Kent J. Desormeaux | Dale L. Romans | Donegal Racing | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.58 | $600,000 | II | |
| 2009 | Battle of Hastings (GB) | Tyler Baze | Jeff Mullins | Michael House | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:03.29 | $750,000 | II | |
| 2008 | Gio Ponti | Garrett K. Gomez | Christophe Clement | Castleton Lyons | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.22 | $772,500 | II | |
| 2007 | Red Giant | Horacio Karamanos | Todd A. Pletcher | Peachtree Stable | 1+1⁄4 miles | 1:59.62 | $1,000,000 | II | |
| 2006 | Go Between | Garrett K. Gomez | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | 1+1⁄4 miles | 1:59.74 | $1,000,000 | II | |
| 2005 | English Channel | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | James T. Scatuorchio | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.57 | $750,000 | III | |
| 2004 | Kitten's Joy | Edgar S. Prado | Dale L. Romans | Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:01.22 | $500,000 | III | |
| 2003 | Silver Tree | Edgar S. Prado | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:01.11 | $500,000 | Listed | |
| 2002 | Orchard Park | Edgar S. Prado | William I. Mott | Peter Vegso | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:03.10 | $500,000 | Listed | |
| 2001 | Potaro (IRE) | Brent E. Bartram | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.18 | $200,000 | Listed | |
| 2000 | Lightning Paces | Greg W. Hutton | John J. Robb | Tulip Hill Farm | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:02.18 | $200,000 | Listed | |
| 1999 | Phi Beta Doc | Ramon A. Dominguez | Robert W. Leonard | Dennis Foster & Robert W. Leonard | 1+1⁄4 miles | 1:59.97 | $200,000 | Listed | |
| 1998 | Crowd Pleaser | Jean-Luc Samyn | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:00.28 | $250,000 | Listed | |