Colonial Backstretch To Open June 23

[Wandering Eyes]

The stable area at Colonial Downs will open on Monday, June 23, with training scheduled to begin two days later at the New Kent facility. An expanded 41-day schedule is set to commence Wednesday, July 9 and continues through Saturday, Sept. 13. Racing will take place weekly from Wednesday to Saturday plus holiday racing on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.

Mike Trombetta and Ben Curtis are set to defend their respective training and riding titles.

“Last year was my first year there and I love the place,” said Curtis, who rode a meet-best 24 winners last year, one more than Mychel Sanchez and two better than Antonio Gallardo. “The turf track is phenomenal. I really enjoyed my first experience there. It all seemed to go really well. Since then, it's been all-systems go to come back there. Hopefully, I'll do as well as last year.”

Trombetta saddled 15 winners to best Michael Stidham (13) and Brittany Russell (10) in 2024.

The 2025 Colonial stakes schedule is worth $5.8 million and is anchored by the Festival of Racing on Saturday, Aug. 9, featuring the GI Arlington Million, the GII Beverly D. Stakes and the GII Secretariat Stakes. Among the other highlights are the $500,000 GIII Old Dominion Derby and the $250,000 Listed Old Dominion Oaks, which have taken the place on the calendar of the Virginia Derby and Virginia Oaks. Those two races were relocated to a special March meeting at Colonial to serve as preps for the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks.

“I'm excited to begin my first full season at Colonial Downs,” said new racing secretary Dan Bork. “With our solid overnight purses and expanded stakes schedule, our barn area is full plus I expect plenty of shippers from throughout the Mid-Atlantic states.”

Post time on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday is 12:30 p.m. EDT. Friday's twilight card gets underway at 4 p.m. There will be a special noon start time Saturday, Aug. 9 and Saturday, Sept. 6.

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