Gigante Named 2025 Virginia-bred Horse of the Year; Ceremony March 14

The Virginia Thoroughbred Association named Gigante the 2025 Virginia-bred Horse of the Year, and the group said trophy presentations will take place on the winner’s circle stage between races during the Virginia Derby Day card at Colonial Downs in New Kent on Saturday, March 14. The awards presentation will be made by the VTA and the Virginia Racing Commission.

Gigante’s résumé in the VTA release highlights 31 career starts and $1,371,978 in earnings. The press release summarized the record this way: "Of Gigante’s 31 career starts, seven took place at the New Kent track, including wins in the 2023 Secretariat Stakes (Gr. 2), 2022 Kitten's Joy Stakes, and a maiden special weight score the same year. Overall, the Virginia award winner has bankrolled $1,371,978." The release and republished versions also identify Gigante as a Not This Time colt and describe him as a "million-dollar earning" horse that "earned more than $1 million and [had] multiple graded-stakes placings during the 2025 campaign."

The press release and accompanying photo caption note that Gigante also recorded a stakes win in 2025 at Remington Park, taking the Remington Green Stakes. Seven of his 31 starts occurred at Colonial Downs, underscoring his regional footprint ahead of the Virginia Derby Day presentation on March 14.

The VTA release was carried as an unedited press release by BloodHorse and republished by Thoroughbred Daily News, E-Ponies, Bobby Zen, Bitofayarn and others. BloodHorse’s copy included the production detail that "The trophy presentations will take place on the winner’s circle stage between races during the Virginia Derby Day card in New Kent, and are presented by the VTA and Virginia Racing Commission." Thoroughbred Daily News noted the same slate headline and that the track issued the release on a Tuesday in its posting.

The VTA slate also named Repo Rocks as Top Virginia-bred Older Male. The press release described Repo Rocks this way: "Eight-year-old Tapiture gelding Repo Rocks took honors by winning the Edward P. Evans Stakes at Colonial and collecting top-three finishes in two other stakes—a third in the Grade 3 Philip H. Iselin at Monmouth and a second in the Boston Handicap in New Kent. Bred by Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin, the Jamie Ness trainee has career earnings of $1,150,466—$184,875 of which came in 2025. The award recipient is owned by Double B Racing Stables."

The circulated excerpts leave several follow-ups unresolved: the full list of VTA award winners beyond Gigante and Repo Rocks was not included in the republished snippets, and Gigante’s owner, trainer, breeder and the exact 2025 earnings line-item were not named in the supplied text. The VTA press release as carried by BloodHorse and TDN supplied the principal facts on race history, starts and career earnings, but reporters seeking quotes or the complete winners list should request the full VTA release and confirm presentation logistics with Colonial Downs and the Virginia Racing Commission.

Expect the hardware for owners and connections to be handed out on the winner’s circle stage during the Virginia Derby Day card at Colonial Downs on Saturday, March 14, when Gigante will be publicly honored as the 2025 Virginia-bred Horse of the Year.