CHARLOTESVILLE, Va. – February 15, 2023 – Virginia’s horse racing venues have
announced spring racing dates for a series of Point-to-Point, Steeplechase and Harness Racing
events and the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) is encouraging Virginia fans to take note of this
spring’s schedule and attend the races.
“We are looking forward to seeing fans at this year’s races,” said Darrell Wood, Communications
Director for the Virginia Equine Alliance. “The last live racing events were in early November
so it’s been several months since fans have been able to experience the thrill of live horse
racing.”
The Point-to-Point (PTP) races will begin on March 4, 2023, as follows:
- March 4: Rappahannock PTP in Boston, VA
- March 18: Warrenton Hunt PTP at Airlie Racecourse
- March 25: Piedmont Fox Hounds PTP in Upperville
- April 8: Old Dominion Hounds PTP in Ben Venue, along with 3 NSA sanctioned races worth $65,000 in purse monies
- April 16: Blue Ridge Hunt PTP in Berryville
- April 23: Loudoun Hunt PTP in Leesburg
- April 30: Middleburg Hunt PTP at Glenwood Park
- The meets sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association are scheduled as:
- April 22: Middleburg Spring Races
- April 29: Foxfield Spring Races
- May 6: Virginia Gold Cup Spring Races
And finally, Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock will conduct a spring harness meet for the first
time ever. Pacers and trotters will compete from April 1 to May 14, with races every Saturday
and Sunday at 1:00 PM. Admission and parking are free for these events.
“We can hardly wait for the 2023 spring season to begin,” Wood said.
The VEA is also encouraging fans to take note of the upcoming summer racing season at
Colonial Downs in New Kent, which begins July 13 and runs through September 9 with racing
every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1:30 PM. Stay tuned for more information as the
summer season approaches.
For more information and any updates to these schedules, please visit virginiahorseracing.com.
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About Virginia Equine Alliance
The Virginia Equine Alliance is a non-profit, 501 (c) 6 organization which is comprised of the
Virginia Harness Horse Association, the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective
Association, the Virginia Gold Cup Association, and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association.
The purpose of the Virginia Equine Alliance is to sustain, promote, and expand the horse
breeding and horse racing industries in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Alliance seeks to
establish and support new and multiple venues for horse racing in the Commonwealth and to
advocate and support legislation, regulations, and rules beneficial to the breeders and owners and trainers of horses (“horsemen”) in the state. The Alliance represents the interests of horsemen at meetings of the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Racing Commission, racing associations, breeder’s organizations, horsemen’s organizations, and other like groups. The Alliance is committed to increasing public awareness of the economic and environmental importance to the Commonwealth of the horse breeding and horse racing industries.
