Florida Derby Florida Derby The Florida Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses held annually at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Since 2005, it has been run five weeks before the Kentucky Derby, which is held on the first Saturday in May. Thus the Florida Derby is currently run either at the end of March or the beginning of April. Added to the racing schedule in 1952, the Grade I race is run at miles on the dirt for a purse currently set at $1 Million. The Florida Derby was first run in 1952. It has long been
Commonwealth Derby Commonwealth Derby The "Virginia Derby" is an American Thoroughbred horse race returning to Colonial Downs in New Kent County, Virginia. The race was previously known as the Commonwealth Derby when it was held at Laurel Park race track in Laurel, Maryland. A Grade II event, it is raced on turf at a distance of 9 Furlongs ( miles) and is open to three-year-old horses. From 1998 to 2013, the race was run at a distance of miles. No race was held in 2014. Since 2015, the distance has been miles. The Virginia Racing Commission announced the race will not be