The Virginia Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on the on the dirt held annually in March at Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia.
The inaugural running of the event was 3 October 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.
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.
[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.