Colonial Downs Offers $2.4 Million for VA-Certified Racers

During its nine-week meet in 2024, Colonial Downs will offer more than $2.4 million in non-stakes purses to Virginia-certified horses and the track’s first condition book includes 46 Virginia-restricted races. Any horse that has maintained Virginia residency for at least a consecutive six-month period prior to Dec. 31 of its 2-year-old year is eligible.

“We often hear from owners and trainers who were unaware that their horse was eligible for our Virginia restricted races,” said Gary Palmisano, executive director of racing for Churchill Downs. “The rules are unique compared to other states in that the groundwork to become eligible is done early in a horse’s career, so horses claimed or purchased at auction may actually be eligible without current connections knowing. I just encourage trainers and owners to check their eligibility so they can take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.”

To check a horse’s eligibility, click here. The list is sorted by trainer and can be searched by horse name, dam name and date of birth.

Created in 2016 by the Virginia Thoroughbred Association, the Virginia Certified program encourages equestrians to breed and train their thoroughbreds in the commonwealth. A recent economic study found that the program generated $86.2 million in economic benefits for the state.

“It saved the infrastructure of our industry in Virginia,” said Debbie Easter, executive director of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association. “Our farms were disappearing. Our training centers and farms that raise young horses were disappearing. We were losing veterinarians, blacksmiths, everyone that the horse industry needed. We designed this certified program with the hopes of bringing 400 horses to Virginia for every generation of foals. It’s brought 800 to 900 instead. It’s been a huge savior for our farms.”

The Virginia Certified program has awarded $14.6 million to owners since 2016. The Virginia Owner’s Purse Bonus awards owners of Virginia-bred and Virginia-sired horses a 50% purse bonus for horses finishing first through fourth in all open races. When a Virginia-Restricted horse wins an open enterprise race, the Virginia Developer’s Purse Bonus awards up to a 25% purse bonus to that horse’s developer (the owner of the horse when it makes its first lifetime start).

“Our farms are hiring people, they’re upgrading their equipment and they’re able to raise their rates,” Easter said. “Virginia used to be one of the largest breeding states in the country, but when we started this program, we were down to about 100 foals a year. In the seven years of registering certified horses, we’ve put over 5,000 horses through our program. We’ve put the same number of certified horses on Virginia farms as the breeding program has over the last 20 years. Those are the benefits of what we’re doing.”

These 5,000 Virginia-certified horses are eligible to compete in Virginia restricted races at Colonial Downs, and purses are awarded at 15 percent more than open company races.

Opening day at Colonial Downs is July 11.

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This story was published in Top News and tagged Churchill Downs, Colonial Downs, Debbie Easter, Gary Palmisano, Virginia Certified, Virginia Thoroughbred Association.