The 2024 Virginia Derby is an exciting race at Colonial Downs, offering a $500,000 purse and a highly competitive field of 12 horses.This year’s race will take place over 1 1/8 miles on the turf and serves as one of six turf stakes on a card packed with action. Offtrack betting fans will have their hands full analyzing the field, with top contenders like Deterministic and Grand Mo the First leading the pack. 

Formidable Man, a rising star on the turf, secured a significant victory in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby on September 1, continuing the legacy of his sire, a horse racing odds favorite, City of Light. Owned by William and Suzanne Warren and trained by Michael McCarthy, Formidable Man's win echoes the success of City of Light, who claimed victories in prestigious races like the 2018 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and the 2019 Pegasus World Cup.

New York-bred The Big Torpedo is stepping up to face open company in the Grade 3 Saranac Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. 

The Grade 2 Flower Bowl Stakes at Saratoga Race Course is set to be an exciting contest, with Klaravich Stables’ McKulick leading the charge as the favorite. 

As the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar approaches on November 1-2, Japan is expected to send a strong contingent, aiming to build on past successes. Japanese horses have a mixed record at the Breeders’ Cup, with a 2-for-29 overall win rate.