The 2026 season at Colonial Downs is just around the corner. The barn area opened Wednesday and training began yesterday. Horses continue to settle into the stable area marking the start of another highly anticipated summer of Thoroughbred racing in Virginia.
This year's backstretch reflects continued momentum for the Virginia racing program, with a blend of nationally prominent newcomers, expanding operations and returning stables that have become fixtures at Colonial Downs.
Leading the list of new arrivals are nationally recognized trainers Jose Francisco D'Angelo, Rob Atras, Antonio Sano, Peter Miller and Joe Orseno, bringing decades of experience and success at the highest levels of the sport.
D'Angelo continues to emerge as one of racing's brightest stars. The Florida- and New York-based horseman has conditioned Breeders' Cup winners Bentornato and Shisospicy, the Eclipse Award 2025 Champion Female Sprinter. Atras has become a major presence on the New York Racing Association circuit, earning a reputation for developing horses into stakes performers and campaigning Grade 1 winner Maracuja along with graded stakes stars Law Professor, Neat and Battle Bling.
Sano, the winningest trainer in Venezuelan racing history and a Hall of Fame member in his native country, has recorded more than 1,000 victories in North America. His stable has featured fan favorite and millionaire Gunnevera as well as Grade 2 winner Simplification.
Miller, a five-time Breeders' Cup-winning trainer with more than 1,600 career victories and nearly $87 million in purse earnings, arrives from Southern California as one of North America's leading conditioners of sprinters and turf specialists. Orseno, whose career includes more than 2,100 victories and more than $60 million in earnings, reached racing's pinnacle with a 2000 Preakness Stakes victory and two Breeders' Cup wins in that same season.
The newcomer class also includes Teresa Connelly, Tim Girten, and John Pimental, representing a diverse group of horsemen from across the Mid-Atlantic and national racing circuits. In addition to the new arrivals, Whit Beckman is expected to have a significantly larger presence in 2026, while dual Hall of Fame trainer
Mark Casse, reigning national standout Brittany Russell and Kentucky Derby-winning conditioner Kenny McPeek all return with major operations.
The list of notable returning stables also includes Rohan Crichton, Kelsey Danner and Virginia-based veteran Arnaud Delacour, all of whom have maintained a consistent presence in recent seasons and are expected to play major roles throughout the meet.
Live racing returns to Colonial Downs on Thursday, June 25, kicking off a record-setting season that will feature an expanded schedule. The 2026 meet will offer 45 days of live racing, conducted every Thursday through Sunday from June 25 through a special Labor Day program on Monday, September 7. The schedule represents the most live racing days in the nearly 30-year history of Colonial Downs Racetrack.
