Courtesy Rick Stillings
The next running of the Foxfield Races on Garth Road in Albemarle County is scheduled for October 4 and will take place under the veil of a lawsuit filed by the operator against the land owner.
On August 13, Foxfield Racing LLC filed a lawsuit against Foxfield Land Preservation LLC and two other named defendants including Zachary Miller, a co-founder of the latter.
“Certain Defendants have wrongfully made false and derogatory statements about the Foxfield Plaintiff and have done so as part of their effort to force a hostile takeover of the Foxfield Tract and running of the Foxfield races,” reads a portion of the complaint.
This suit comes nearly 10 years after another was filed against a previous ownership group that sought to develop the land in the mid 2010s. The issue in that case was whether the last will and testament of the late Mariann S. de Tejada was sufficient to keep the land used for equestrian activities in perpetuity.
Tejada bought the property in 1973 and the first races were held in 1978. Her will enshrined a desire that it be preserved for “equestrian sports, competition and related activities.”
After Tejada died in 1983, the property transferred to Foxfield Racing Association Inc. a few years later. In late 2016, a group of neighboring property owners sued to prevent some of the land from being sold. The case was resolved after an agreement was made in late 2019 that a conservation easement would be put on the property and held by Albemarle County.
Another agreement established that the land would eventually be transferred to a foundation named in Tejada’s name.
Foxfield Racing LLC began running the events in the fall of 2020 with a five-year lease. The complaint states that the National Steeplechase Association has never issued a citation. The complaint also states that Miller served as a member of its Board of Directors from 2022 until August 2024.
“One key topic of the June 2023 meeting was how to make sure that the Foxfield Plaintiff would continue to have access to the Foxfield Tract for running the Foxfield Races after the expiration of the 2020 lease,” the complaint continues.
The foundation was never formed and the complaint states Miller formed the Foxfield Land Preservation LLC in August 2023 and acquired the 145.4-acre parcel in February 2024 for $3.25 million. Miller resigned from the Foxfield Racing LLC in August 2024 with the complaint alleging the land would not be transferred to the foundation.
In June 2025, Foxfield Racing asked to purchase the property and were denied. The complaint goes on to describe alleged harassment against the plaintiffs including what they say are false claims about safety issues. The suit alleges breach of contract and seeks to place the land under the ownership of a trust as well as retain the ability to extend the lease past 2035. The plaintiffs want a jury trial.
On August 21, Miller sent a message to supporters stating that Foxfield Racing LLC pays a lease of $1 a year to run the events.
“Under the terms of that lease, Foxfield Racing is responsible for maintaining the property and holding the races each fall and spring,” Miller wrote. “Over the past several months, we have become increasingly concerned that the race railing, observation tower, and other infrastructure have fallen into a dangerously degraded state.”
Miller said his family’s Cassiopeia Foundation would be willing to spend millions to cover the cost in upgrading the site for the future. He said this proposal was rejected.
Miller claims the suit seeks to compel the sale of the property to Foxfield Racing. He said his organization will respond and seek a guarantee that investments will be made.
“Our primary goal will be to ask the court to compel Foxfield Racing to meet its obligation to run safe races,” Miller said.
Marian Fife, executive director of Foxfield Races, said in an August 24 statement that the legal action was filed to protect the future of the events.
“Our commitment to our supporters, volunteers, participants, sponsors, the Virginia racing community and the broader community remains unchanged,” Fife said. “The scheduled races on October 4 of this year will also continue as planned, in accordance with our lease agreement.”
