Million-dollar earner Gigante, named 2025 Virginia-Bred Horse of the Year, leads a distinguished group of award winners honored at Colonial Downs during Virginia Derby Day. The 6-year-old Not This Time horse, trained by Steve Asmussen and bred by Ann Mudge Backer & Smitten Farm, earned $241,578 last year with three wins on both turf and dirt, bringing his career earnings to over $1.37 million. Other notable honorees include Repo Rocks, the Top Virginia-bred Older Male with $1.15 million in career earnings, and Mindframe, the Top Virginia-Certified Older Male, who amassed $1.4 million last year alone with multiple Grade 1 victories.
Additional award recipients include Winfinity as Top Virginia-bred Older Filly/Mare, Doubting Thomas as Top Virginia-bred Two-Year-Old, and Future Is Now as Virginia-Certified Older Filly & Mare of the Year, each showcasing strong performances and stakes wins. Trainer Madison Meyers earned Top Trainer honors with over $1 million in purse earnings, while breeder Larry Johnson was named Virginia Breeder of the Year for his successful crop of Virginia-breds that earned over $860,000 in 2025. These awards highlight the depth of talent and strong breeding programs within Virginia’s racing community.
