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Virginia Gold Cup

Field	Value
horse race	Virginia Gold Cup
previous_race	2025 Virginia Gold Cup
previous_date
next_race	2026 Virginia Gold Cup
location	Great Meadow Race Cource
The Plains, Virginia
inaugurated
race type	Steeplechase	next_date=
sponsor	Great Meadow Foundation	distance=4 Miles
record	8:15, Doc Cebu (2020)
website	Virginia Gold Cup	surface=Turf	purse=US$450,000
1st: $60,000

The Plains, Virginia 1st: $60,000}}

The Virginia Gold Cup and International Gold Cup are annual steeplechase races held in The Plains, Virginia. Together, the races have become two of the largest outdoor social events held in Virginia. The races have been held in Fauquier County since 1922. It is sometimes seen as Virginia's answer to the Kentucky Derby.

The Virginia Gold Cup is held the first Saturday of May at Great Meadow, a field events center created and bequeathed by the Arundel Family in 1984. The International Gold Cup is the featured horse racing event of the Fall season and is managed today by the Virginia Gold Cup Association. Now held on the third Saturday of October, the International Gold Cup was founded in Tennessee in 1930.

History

There is a history of horse racing in the region dating back to the 19th century; however, the Virginia Gold Cup itself was not created until 1922. The race was created by eight sportsmen who met at the Fauquier Club in Warrenton and organized a four-mile race alongside the natural walls and fences of the nearby hunting countryside on April 3, 1922, and thirty-four days later was the first Virginia Gold Cup race.

Washington businessman Russell M. Arundel was chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup from 1930 to 1955. In 1980, his son Arthur W. "Nick" Arundel purchased Great Meadow, a 500-acre tract of open space in The Plains which he developed for more than $5 million into a new home for The Gold Cup, which at the time was threatened by development in Warrenton. Arundel served as Chairman of Great Meadow and of the Virginia Gold Cup for nearly two decades until his passing in 2011.

From 1994 to 1999, a horse named Saluter won six individual Virginia Gold Cup races. Overall, Saluter won 22 of his 43 lifetime starts. As of 2025, Saluter has won the most races in the history of the Virginia Gold Cup.

The 2016 event drew more than 50,000 spectators. The 2024 International Gold Cup was held in Middleburg, Virginia, instead of in The Plains.

In 2025, the event held its 100th race despite being older than a century. This was due World War II and a scheduling conflict preventing the race from 1943-1945 and 1948 respectively. The race was almost cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well.

Additional activities include terrier and pony races before the main event, hat contests on Members Hill, vendor tents and booths, parachute demonstrations, classic and new car displays, and countless tailgates.

Viewing areas are divided into three basic sections: North Rail, South Rail, and Members Hill. Members Hill overlooks Winners Circle and has the best view of the course. All three sections include private tents, public viewing areas, and tailgate spaces. North Rail is geared more toward young professionals and social groups; South Rail is where most corporate tents and family-oriented outings congregate.

Winners

Year	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time	Turf	Course
2025	Keys Discount	G. Watters	Jack Fisher	Mrs. John R.S. Fisher	8:56	Firm	Great Meadow Course
2024	Schoodic	8:57	Soft
2023	Mystic Strike	G. Galligan	Todd McKenna	Upland Partners	8:25	Good
2022	Andi'amu	F. Procter	Leslie Young	Ballybristol Farm LLC	9:26	Soft
2021	Schoodic	H. Frost	Jack Fisher	Mrs. John R.S. Fisher	8:31	Good
2020	Doc Cebu	M. Mitchell	Charles C. Fenwick Jr.	8:15	Good
2019	Andi'amu	J. Doyle	Leslie Young	Ballybristol Farm LLC	9:12	Good
2018	Zanclus	Kieran Norris	Niel Morris	Sara E. Collette	8:43	Good
2017	Ebanour	Gustan Dahl	Cyril Murphy	Irvin Naylor
2016
2015	Grinding Speed	M. Beecher	Alicia Murphy	Michael T. Wharton
2014	Hot Rize	William McCarthy		Holston Hall	9:20
2013	Grinding Speed	Mark Bucher		Michael T. Wharton	8:50
2012	Incomplete	Joey Elliott		Robert A. Kinsley	8:38
2011	Bon Caddo	Dawn P. Williams		Merriefield Farms	8:25
2010	Bubble Economy	Paddy Young		Arcadia Stable	8:22
2009	Salmo	Daren Nagel		Irvin S. Naylor	8:33
2008	Bubble Economy	Chip Miller		Arcadia Stable	8:48
2007	Salmo		Irvin S. Naylor	8:24
2006	Miles Ahead	Chris Read		Kinross Farm	8:19
2005		8:40
2004	Joe At Six	Louis Neilson III		Michele L. Hunter	8:48
2003	Lord Kenneth	Matthew McCarron		Kinross Farm	8:28
2002	Make Me A Champ	Blyth Miller		Irvin S. Naylor	8:27
2001	Ironfist	Roger Horgan		John H. Filbert III	8:29
2000	Priceless Room	Joseph Delozier III		Big Wood Stable	8:26
1999	Saluter	Jack Fisher		Henry Stern	8:23
1998		8:58
1997		8:46
1996		8:47
1995		8:27
1994		8:46
1993	Kuujjuaq	John Bosley		H. Turney McKnight	8:38
1992	Push and Pull	Jack Fisher		Dover Ridge Farm	8:29
1991	Joe's OK	Sanna Neilson		Oliver Keelan	8:30
1990	Von Csadek	Patrick Worral		Sheppard-Worral Stables	8:51
1989	Call Louis	Jack Fisher		Sheila Williams	9:45
1988	Von Csadek	Patrick Worrall		Scanden Stables	8:45
1987	Ozymandias	William Wofford		Irene Roeckel	8:38
1986	Sugar Bee	Charles Fenwick Jr.		Arthur W. Arundel	8:49
1985	Prince Saran	Paul Sloan		John R. Neal	8:29
1984	Constantine	D.M. Smithwick Jr.		Joseph M. Rogers	9:03		Broadview Farm Course
1983	Private Gary	R. Waterman		8:36
1982	Prince Saran	Paul Sloan		John R. Neal	8:56
1981	Juggernaut II	J. Fisher		John R.S. Fisher	8:50
1980	Tong	H.T. McKnight		H. Turney	8:54
1979	Sam Son Of A Gun	C. Fenwick		W. Wallace Lanahan Jr.	9:03
1978	Navy Davy	D. Yovanovich		Ernest Scott	9:11
1977	Pat's Gamble	B. Secor		H.E. Burkheimer	9:08
1976	Semington	C. Fenwick		W. Wallace Lanahan Jr.	9:17
1975	Chapel Street	L. Nielson III		Rokeby Stables	9:10
1974	Mongogo	W. Moore		8:33
1973	Portobelo III	G. Flautt		Bella Vista Farm	9:04
1972	King of Spades	J. Aitcheson Jr.		Joseph M. Rogers	9:12
1971	Annual Meeting		John W. Warner	8:27
1970	King of Spades	D. Small		Thomas H. McKoy Jr.	8:47
1969	Annual Meeting	W. Moore		John W. Warner	8:54
1968	Walrus	J. Aitcheson Jr.		A.C. Randolph	8:48
1967	Leeds Don		David L. Ferguson	9:15
1966	W. Moore		8:51
1965	N. Lowry		8:46
1964	Moon Rock	J. Aitcheson Jr.		Paul R. Fout	9:38
1963	Hill Tie	A.P. Smithwick		June H. McKnight	8:52
1962		8:58
1961	Mainstay	J. Aitcheson Jr.		Wm. E. Schlusemeyer	7:52
1960	Ricacho		Randolph D. Rouse	8:29
1959	Judge Beacon	J. Walker		George P. Greenhalgh	7:30
1958	Coup-de-Vite	K. Field		Mrs. Henry Obre	9:11
1957	Grand Chal	J. Aitcheson Jr.		Alfred H. Smith	8:54
1956	Gillian	G. Stephens		Capt. J.L.B. Bentley	8:58
1955	Uncle Pierre	B.H. Murray		Cyrus Manierre	8:41
1954	Lancrel	F. Bonsal Jr.		Hugh J. O'Donovan	7:22
1953	Rayquick	D.M. Smithwick		C.M. Greer Jr.	7:36
1952	Gift of Gold	F.D. Adams		Mrs. Simon T. Patterson	7:34
1951	Mister Mars	H. Bennett		A.S. Carhart	8:00
1950	Done Sleeping	D.M. Smithwick		Alvin Untermyer	Unknown}}
1949	Never Worry	L. Manogue		Thomas Stokes	7:03
1947	Alex Stokes		8:30
1946	Houseman	John Bosley		C.M. Greer Jr.	9:43
1942	Sir Romeo	Robert Utterback		Mrs. A.S. Carhart	7:35
1941	Goldun	John Bosley		C.M. Greer Jr.	7:29
1940	Black Sweep	J.S. Harrison		Mrs. Frank M. Gould	8:32
1939	Or Else	Sidney Watters		W.F. Cochran Jr.	7:48
1938	Ostend	William B. Streett		Mrs. Frank M. Gould	7:59
1937		7:48
1936	Ghost Dancer	Noel Liang		Carlton H. Palmer	7:34
1935	Indigo	W.B. Cocks		John Schiff	7:43
1934	Melita II	Jack Skinner		Mrs. Sumner Pingree	9:50		Clovercroft Course
1933	The Prophet		Unknown}}
1932	Melita II
1931	Seraglio	William B. Streett		Mrs. John Hay Whitney
1930	Soissons	Jack Skinner		Mrs. Sumner Pingree
1929	Dunks Green	Frank A. Bonsal		Mrs. Walter J. Salmon
1928	Tijuca	Ernest Woolf		Mrs. C.C. Rumsey		Broadview Farm Course
1927	Dum Dum	Donald Pearce		Mrs. T.M. Bowen
1926	Billy Barton	Albert G. Ober		Howard Bruce
1925	John Bunny	Raymond Belmont		Mrs. K.E. Hitt
1924	Parana	Arthur White		Mrs. C.E. Perkins
1923	Oddity	Jules Dillon		Mrs. K.E. Hitt		Oakwood Course
1922	Irish Laddie	Arthur White

References

(16 May 2016). "Hats on for 91st running of the Virginia Gold Cup". Prince William Times.
"Virginia Gold Cup".
"History". vagoldcup.com.
Parker, Betsy Burke. (2025-05-01). "Saluter: The king of the Virginia Gold Cup".
(22 September 2014). "Virginia Gold Cup Races". Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association.
Hewitt, Tate. (2025-07-09). "Great Meadow looks to transform historic racecourse".
Preston, Dave. (2025-05-02). "Virginia Gold Cup at 100: Still fashionable after all these years".
"RACING".
(2 May 2015). "Virginia Gold Cup 2015". Great Meadow Foundation.

Info: Wikipedia Source

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horse-racing-in-virginia fauquier-county,-virginia horse-races-established-in-1922 1922-establishments-in-virginia

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