The Virginia Derby represents the best that the world of thoroughbred horses and their fans has to offer.
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Two Thoroughbreds gracefully move along a green hillside as I drive out of my home in King William County, bound for the Virginia Derby on a gray Saturday morning in central Virginia. Although Kentucky is often associated with Thoroughbreds, I grew up just steps from Meadow Stables, where the famous Secretariat was bred and raised. Virginians are proud of their strong ties to horse racing, and their contributions to America’s storied racing tradition are undeniable.
Inside Rosie's Casino and Shopping Center in New Kent, chaos reigns. A record crowd of more than 8,000 packed Colonial Downs Racetrack this weekend to witness one of Virginia's most anticipated horse races this century: the 27th Virginia Derby. This year's event takes on even more significance because the winner will earn an automatic berth in the prestigious Kentucky Derby in May.
With the stakes so high, top trainers from Bob Baffert to D. Wayne Lukas head east from Richmond, looking to qualify for the biggest event in racing, the 151st Kentucky Derby, set for May 3, 2025. Baffert’s Getaway Car is the heavy favorite. Also in the running is American Promise, a formidable horse at nearly 17 hands. Virginia-bred Omaha Omaha is also expected to be looking to qualify for this year’s Kentucky Derby.
The sun breaks through the clouds as an '80s cover band plays next to the dirt track. I step inside, where women in their floral finest stroll around wearing brightly colored hats of all shapes and sizes. The men are similarly dressed in sharp striped jackets and khakis. The cold, unrelenting grip of winter has officially given way to the promise of spring, and there's an undeniable energy in the air—the buzz of a racetrack.
“We used to be allowed on the track and in our backyards on the Fourth of July, all on dirt,” says a woman with a crew cut and a “Kiss Me, I'm Irish” sticker taped to her white jacket. “That was before the whole world went crazy!”
Fat, toothless men in Redskins polos hang around the drink stand, while slender black men holding cigars under no-smoking signs chat in the stands. My Virginia. “So to the Tyrants,” etc. Four centuries on the road. On days like these, it's hard to imagine yourself as anything but a proud son of the Blue Ridge.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin makes an unexpected appearance. He is a giant. It is a big day for the Republican statesman who played a role in organizing this leg of the Kentucky Derby prep circuit. The crowd parts as he and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin walk through the mass of people east of the paddock minutes before the start of the Virginia Oaks, the eighth race of the day and the most important after the main event. Youngkin’s wife is in a flowered dress with purple, green and yellow horses. She smiles broadly for the cameras. The Terry McAuliffe years are behind us, and Virginia has never been better for it.
Governor Glenn Youngkin at the 27th Virginia Derby
“They'll make a decent amount of money here today,” he noted.
Sourse: theamericanconservative.com
