America’s Leading Horse Racing Network Also to Present On-Site Coverage of Virginia Racing Festival, Aug. 30-31

NEW KENT, Va. (Aug. 6, 2019) – Officials of Colonial Downs Group and Television Games Network (TVG) today announced that TVG, America’s leading Thoroughbred racing network and advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform, will televise races for the 2019 Colonial Downs  meeting, beginning with opening day this Thursday, Aug. 8.

With Peninsula Pacific Entertainment as new ownership, renovated facilities, and an average daily purse structure of $500,000, Colonial Downs is set to usher in a new era of Thoroughbred racing with a 10-race program beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday. Thoroughbreds last ran at Colonial in the summer of 2013. 

As a part of the agreement, Colonial Downs races for the Aug. 8-Sept. 7 meeting will be televised on TVG  or TVG2. TVG talent will provide daily selections and analysis of the Colonial Downs races and will reciprocate by posting the selections from Colonial Downs’ handicappers. TVG will also interview Colonial Downs representatives on a weekly basis.

Further to the agreement, TVG also will present on-site coverage of Virginia’s Racing Revival weekend August 30-31 with host Gabby Gaudet at the track to provide analysis and interviews for Colonial Downs big weekend of racing and events, featuring the New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds, and the Fasig-Tipton Virginia Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, both run on the world-renown Secretariat Turf Course.

“We are thrilled to partner with TVG as we share Virginia racing reimagined with fans, presented by TVG, every-day,” said John Marshall, Colonial Downs Executive Vice President. “TVG has been an intricate and vital part of promoting the Thoroughbred racing industry for the past 20 years, and we look forward to a lasting beneficial partnership.  Watch, wager and win with us through the rebirth of Virginia racing.”

“As we celebrate 20 years of bringing the best in racing to fans across the US, the TVG team is excited about the return of racing to Colonial Downs and our coverage of its races on TVG and TVG2,” said Kevin Grigsby, TVG’s Executive Producer and Senior Vice President of Television.

About Colonial Downs

Colonial Downs’ bright future features the return of live Thoroughbred racing and full card simulcasting with the excitement of innovative historic horse racing (HHR) gaming technology. In collaboration with the Virginia Racing Commission (VRC) and Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), Colonial Downs is set to bring competitive horse racing back to New Kent County and the Commonwealth with the re-opening of the best turf track in the country and a future network of satellite HHR facilities branded as “Rosie’s”. Colonial Downs Group, a subsidiary of  Peninsula Pacific Entertainment,  is making a $300 million investment in the Commonwealth of Virginia creating 800 new jobs by the end of 2019. This effort will generate $25 million annually in state tax revenues, $17 million annually in local tax revenues and $25 million annually to Virginia’s horse industry. The project is not receiving any tax credits or government incentives.

About TVG

Headquartered in Los Angeles, TVG, an affiliate of FanDuel Group, is one of the largest legal online gaming companies in the US, processing over $1 billion in horseracing wagers annually from over 30 states. TVG network airs races at over 150 racetracks worldwide and is among the most widely distributed horseracing networks in the world, operating TVG and TVG2 in more than 44 million US homes. The company has demonstrated its commitment to the racing industry, its horse owners, tracks and fans through sponsorship of several preeminent races including the TVG Pacific Classic and TVG Super Saturday. For more information about TVG, visit: tvg.com.

Colonial Downs and New Kent County, home county of the track, announced a new joint partnership today with horse racing’s revival in the Commonwealth that includes sponsorship of the Grade 3 Virginia Derby.

The $250,000 stakes race, which highlights a “Racing Revival Weekend” on August 31st”, will be renamed the ‘New Kent County Virginia Derby’. Other “Revival” events on Labor Day weekend include the $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Virginia Oaks, swag giveaways, jockey meet & greets, and family fun activities.

2019 will mark the 17th running of the Virginia Derby and the 1st running of the New Kent County Virginia Derby. Some of the country’s top three-year-old turf horses will compete 1 1/8 miles over the Secretariat Turf Course that day for the first time since 2013. Eclipse award winning horses English Channel, Gio Ponti and Kitten’s Joy have captured the Commonwealth’s richest annual horse race in past years. Star horses like Paddy O’ Prado, Silver Max, and Go Between among others have also won.

“We are excited to partner with Colonial Downs in a high profile event like the Virginia Derby,” said Rodney Hathaway, New Kent County Administrator. “We look forward to welcoming local, regional and national visitors to New Kent on Derby Day and throughout the summer race season. We invite everyone to enjoy all the tourist amenities the County offers.”

New Kent County has an English history that dates back 400 years. It is the second fastest growing locality in Virginia and is home to four golf courses, three wineries, three rivers and historic landmarks like St. Peter’s Parish Church, known as “The First Church of the First First-Lady”. A Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, which features 600 Historical Horse Racing terminals and live simulcasting from tracks around the country, is in New Kent as well at Colonial Downs.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with New Kent County in our biggest annual marquee event,” said John Marshall, Executive Vice-President of the Colonial Downs Group. “On Derby Day, we’ll showcase New Kent to horseplayers from all over North America who will be watching and wagering at racetracks, simulcast centers and online. They will learn what we already know — that New Kent is a great place to live, work and visit.”

Colonial Downs kicks off its five-week thoroughbred race season on Thursday August 8 at 5:00 PM. The action continues through September 7 with racing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 5:00 PM. Racing details are available at www.colonialdowns.com. Information about New Kent County is at www.co.new-kent.va.us or www.visitnewkent.com.