Day of Family Fun & Cash Dash Drawings Highlight Event on September 6

NEW KENT, Va. (September 1, 2022) – Featuring horses from nationally prominent trainers, Colonial Downs Group is pleased to announce large crowds are expected for the New Kent County Virginia Derby on Tuesday, September 6. The nation’s top turf horses will compete on the widest turf course in North America. Post time is 1:45 p.m.  The day will be highlighted by the grade 3, $300,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby^® for 3-year-olds, along with the $200,000 Virginia Oaks^® for 3-year-old fillies, both of which will be raced over the renowned Secretariat Turf Course named for the famous Triple Crown champion who was born in Doswell, Virginia. A total of $1 million dollars in prize money will be up for grabs on Virginia Derby Day.

Be there for your FREE chance to win a share of $25,000 cash in the New Kent County Virginia Derby Cash Dash where 50 lucky winners will win $500.  Numbers will be drawn after each race between 2 pm and 6 pm. Plenty of family friendly entertainment will be available on the grounds, including a Dixieland strolling band, magician, juggler, and face painter. Plus, Las Vegas Entertainer of the Year, T-Fox will be performing the National Anthem, God Bless America, and a free show at Rosie’s immediately after the last race. Additionally, a variety of food trucks will be on-site.

FREE general admission includes access to an air-conditioned Homestretch Hospitality tented space, apron access with track and paddock-side viewing where you can get up close to the horses, covered bench seating and access to the Paddock Bar. Drink specials to highlight the occasion will be offered. Additionally, Colonial Downs will offer other options including clubhouse dining, clubhouse boxes, turf club dining and turf club suites. Parking and general admission are both free for the biggest horse race in Virginia!

The event culminates the fourth successful season of Thoroughbred horse racing at Colonial Downs since the track was revitalized and re-opened in 2019. “Peninsula Pacific Entertainment has not only lived up to the promise of bringing high caliber Thoroughbred horse racing back to Virginia but is honored to present this year’s Virginia Derby card.  It is great to see so many families and fans enjoying live racing that adds so much value to business and tourism in the Commonwealth,” said John Marshall, executive vice president of operations for Colonial Downs Group.

For fans who can’t make it out to the track on September 6, all the excitement can be viewed live, and wagers can be made through www.TVG.com.  For more information on 2022 Colonial Downs Racing presented by Woodford Reserve visit www.colonialdowns.com.

About Colonial Downs Group: Colonial Downs Group is a proud business operator in Virginia employing more than 1,000 team members in the Commonwealth, paying over $30 million in annual salaries, wages, and benefits. Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums^® in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent, Vinton, and Dumfries offer innovative historic horse racing (HHR) gaming technology and full card simulcasting. Colonial Downs Group also operates a Rosie’s Game Room^TM in Collinsville, which features a limited selection of some of their best HHR titles. Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent County hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide and on a 11/4-mile dirt track, second in length to only the world-famous Belmont Park.

August 30, 2022 (Lexington, KY): Another successful Colonial Downs race meet will culminate on Virginia Derby Day, highlighted by a dedication to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA).

The Kitten’s Joy Stakes (G3) will be presented by the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance on Virginia Derby Day. A presentation of a TAA blanket and swag bag will be made to the winning connections following the running of the race.

“We’re thrilled to again partner with the TAA in sponsorship of the Kitten’s Joy Stakes,” said Colonial Downs Vice-President of Racing Operations, Jill Byrne. “We appreciate and value the importance of what the TAA provides to the industry and are happy to recognize their great efforts on our biggest day of the year, especially with a race named after one of the greatest Virginia Derby winners ever.”  

The TAA will host the Best Turned Out Horse awards sponsored by the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent Protection Agency (HBPA) for every stake race on the Sep. 6 card.

Winning grooms of the Best Turned Out Horse awards sponsored by the Virginia HBPA will receive a $100 cash prize and a TAA swag bag and will be streamed on the live simulcast feed at the New Kent, Virginia-based track.

“The Virginia HBPA is happy to sponsor and recognize the fine care that grooms provide our horses,” said Virginia HBPA Executive Director, Frank Petramalo Jr. “We at the Virginia HBPA are so appreciative of what the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance and its accredited organizations provide for these horses after they retire.”

Initiated in 2019, Colonial Downs and the Virginia HBPA have each pledged $15 per start at the Colonial Downs meet to the TAA.

“Both Colonial Downs and the Virginia HBPA are staunch supporters of the TAA, and we are thankful for their recurring inclusion of the TAA on Virginia Derby Day,” said TAA President, Jeffrey Bloom. “We look forward to this event every year and the opportunity it provides to work alongside TAA supporting racetracks and horsemen’s groups to promote Thoroughbred aftercare.”

About Colonial Downs

Colonial Downs Group is a proud business operator in Virginia employing more than 1,000 team members in the Commonwealth, paying over $30 million in annual salaries, wages, and benefits. Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums^® in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent, Vinton, and Dumfries offer innovative historic horseracing (HHR) gaming technology and full card simulcasting. Colonial Downs Group also recently opened a Rosie’s Game Room™ in Collinsville, which features a limited selection of some of their best HHR titles. Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent County hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide and on a 1 1/4-mile dirt track, second in length to only the world-famous Belmont Park. Colonial Downs Group has made a $300 million investment in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The company pays more than $32 million in annual state and local taxes plus an additional $12 million in racing industry payments annually. 

About the Virginia HBPA

The Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent Protection Agency is a non-profit organization whose members are owners and trainers licensed to race in Virginia by the Virginia Racing Commission. On their behalf it negotiates horsemen’s contracts with Colonial Downs and provides benevolent services for individuals working on the backside of the racetrack. The VHBPA is affiliated with the National HBPA in Lexington, Ky. To learn more about the VHBPA, visit VirginiaHorseRacing.com

About the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance

Based in Lexington, KY, the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that accredits, inspects, and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retrain, rehome, and retire Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding. Along with continued funding from its original partners Breeders’ Cup, The Jockey Club, and Keeneland Association, the TAA is supported by owners, trainers, breeders, racetracks, aftercare professionals, and other industry members. Since inception in 2012, the TAA has granted more than $24.5 million to accredited aftercare organizations. Currently 82 aftercare organizations and approximately 180 facilities across North America have been granted accreditation. To learn more about the TAA, visit ThoroughbredAftercare.org.

PHOTO: Suzie Picou-Oldham

CONTACT

Stacie Clark

859-230-5881

sclark@thoroughbredaftercare.org

Alexandra Kokka
859-224-2882

akokka@thoroughbredaftercare.org

NEW KENT, Va. (Aug. 9, 2022) – Maxis Stable’s Simply Super ($5.00) passed odds on favorite Heldish inside the sixteenth pole to win the $150,000 Hickory Tree Stakes, and Matthew Schera and Lawrence Stable’s homebred Titoschangedmyluck ($29.80) split horses in deep stretch to capture the 5-furlong, $150,000 Keswick Stakes for 2-year-old fillies in co-featured Virginia Bred/Sired Virginia Certified stakes races Tuesday at Colonial Downs.

In the Hickory Tree, Simply Super, trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Horatio Karamanos, won his second race in four starts this year. A son of 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver out of So You Know by Jump Start, Simply Super completed the 5 furlongs over a fast track in 56.74.

Heldish, the 4-5 favorite, broke on top in the eight-horse field, and saved ground along the rail going into the far turn. Simply Super came from fourth to second place at the top of the stretch, set his sights on Heldish, and eased by in the final yards.

“I saw the speed was with the four (Heldish). My horse broke okay, but the four quickly and of the gate, and I chased him to stay close,” said Karamanos. “ He (Simply Super) was a little lazy at the top of the stretch but he responded.”

Grand Escape finished third, followed by My Mamba in fourth.

This was the second time this meet that Karamanos and Maker combined to win a stakes race.  The duo won the Colonial Cup with Red Knight on July 27. 

Simply Super won on debut at Keeneland on April 20 in a 4 ½ furlong maiden special weight. In his most recent start, he finished fourth in the listed 6-furlong Bashford Manor at Churchill Downs on July 4.

In the Keswick, Titoschangedmyluck ($29.80) split horses in deep stretch and sped to a 2 1/2-length victory over Rebel Consort. Trained by James Lawrence II and ridden by Jeiron Barbosa, Titoschangedmyluck broke her maiden in her third start.

Facing seven rivals, Titoschangedmyluck broke well and stayed in fourth on the backstretch while Bee Mountain set the pace up front through the stretch, followed by 35-1 Rebel Consort. As Bee Mountain faded, Barbosa found a space between the two leaders in the final furlong to post a 2 ½ length victory over Rebel Consort, with Livana finishing in third, Cocktail Dreaming in fourth and Bee Mountain in fifth.

A daughter of Social Inclusion out of Tiztito by Tiznow, Titoschangedmyluck completed the 5 furlongs in 58.59 over a fast track.

“She’s always shown me a lot of talent,” said Lawrence. “She really blossomed so I wanted to give her a chance here. It’s not every time that you can run for $150,000.”

Buoyed by an $82,000 carryover in the Pick 5, an additional $761,373 was bet into the wager on Tuesday and combined with the other offerings on the race led to a total of $1,113,614, bet into the sixth race on August 9 at Colonial Downs. That total is the highest non-Virginia Derby single race pool in the history of the New Kent, Virginia racetrack.

The New Kent, Virginia, track’s Pick 5 was altered this year to offer a carryover pool when nobody selects all five winners in the sequence which covers the last five races daily. The Pick 5 is a 50-cent minimum wager and offers a low 12% takeout rate.

Total handle on the 10-race card was $4,158,873.

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Spearheaded by competitive fields on both of its racing surfaces and continued high interest in its Pick 5 wager, Colonial Downs has announced that the average all-sources wagering through the first five weeks of the 27-day Colonial Downs presented by Woodford Reserve race meeting is up 30.7 percent over the same corresponding time period of the 2021 meet.

Now in its fourth year under the management of the Colonial Downs Group and ownership of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, Colonial Downs has registered a daily all-sources average handle of $2,625,248 through the first 15 days of the meeting, compared to the daily all-sources wagering handle of $2,008,092 through the first 15 days of the 2021 meeting.

Colonial Downs is offering a record of more than $600,000 in daily average purses for the season, attracting horsemen and horsewomen from various parts of the nation to the New Kent facility for the daily Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon racing programs.

Additionally, horseplayers wagering on the Colonial Downs races have taken a liking to the Pick 5 wager, which last week produced an $82,000 carryover into the Aug. 9 race card leading to $761,000 in new money wagered the following day. The Pick 5 at Colonial Downs, a 50-cent minimum wager, has a take-out rate of 12%, which is one of the lowest take outs offered by any racing facility in the U.S. The wager was altered this year to offer a carryover pool when no one selects all five winners in the sequence which covers the last five races daily.

A total of $1,113,614 was bet into the sixth race on Aug. 9 at Colonial Downs, which is the highest non-Virginia Derby single race pool in the history of the track and contributed to a meet-high daily handle of $4,158,874.

“We are delighted with the response thus far from fans from around the country who are enthusiastically wagering on our high-quality racing product, featuring horses from some of racing’s most familiar trainers and competition among top jockeys,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President of Racing Operations. “Our Pick 5 has been wildly successful since we reduced takeout to 12% on the bet this year. We look forward to continued success for the second half of the meet resuming on August 15.”

Colonial has also been participating in the Monday Mid-Atlantic Pick 4 in conjunction with Monmouth Park. The 50-cent wager includes two races each from Colonial and Monmouth Park.

Colonial continues to be one of the nation’s most horsemen-friendly racetracks, proven by its innovative meet-long horsemen incentives branded as “Every Race, Every Day.” As a bonus, all owners are guaranteed $1,000 per start or their share of the purse money, and all trainers will receive $300 per start as recognition for loyal participation every race, every day. In recognition of horse welfare, Colonial Downs will contribute $15 from each starter in every race to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, which is matched by another $15 per horse contribution by the Virginia HBPA.

At the halfway point, jockey Jareth Loveberry and trainer Larry Rivelli – each competing at Colonial for the first time – lead their respective standings. Sarah and Reid Nagle’s Big Lick Farm is leading owner through the first five weeks of racing.

The second half of the meet gets off to a tremendous start with four MATCH Series stakes races headlining a solid Tuesday, Aug. 16, card while the $300,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds and the $200,000 Virginia Oaks for 3-year-fillies are both scheduled for Sept. 6.

The following article appeared on bloodhorse.com August 2 and was written by Frank Angst.

It’s not Saratoga Race Course or Del Mar, but in a crowded summer racing schedule Colonial Downs most assuredly is making some noise thanks to purses boosted by historical horse racing, a well-tailored schedule, and a continued emphasis on turf racing.

This is the fourth year Colonial has run under the management of Colonial Downs Group and owner Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, the team that brought the New Kent, Va., track back to life in 2019 after Thoroughbred racing was halted for six years as horsemen and former owner Jeffrey Jacobs failed to reach an agreement on purses and race dates.

When Colonial opened in 1997, its original good idea was to offer mostly turf racing on its two turf courses—leading to large fields that are attractive to bettors. That idea continues to pay dividends, but now Virginia’s lone track also is the latest success story for HHR—a form of pari-mutuel wagering through machines that closely resemble slot machines.

In June HHR machines handled $331 million in Virginia—more than three times the $88 million wagered in June 2019 and up 39% from the corresponding month last year. That first increase can be attributed to more HHR outlets being added in the state, and the latter number suggests the games are continuing to catch on with players. 

The potential for continued growth in HHR in the state played a role in Churchill Downs Inc. entering into a purchase agreement in February to acquire substantially all of the assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment for $2.485 billion, pending the competition of regulatory approvals.

HHR interest has helped boost purses at Colonial, which reached $8,614,800 when the track returned to racing in 2019. Last year that purse total was $11,517,500—up 34% from 2019. This year the track intends to offer $600,000 in average daily purses—an arrangement that should see Colonial award about $16.2 million at this year’s meet, which has been expanded by six race days to 27 dates. Those dates could grow further when more HHR games are added in Virginia.

Colonial races on a Monday-Wednesday schedule, a slate that avoids confrontation with big summer tracks like Saratoga and Del Mar.

“In an ultra-competitive racing environment, we look forward to another season with bigger purses and greater incentives for our horsemen and industry stakeholders toward increased participation in the 2022 season,” Colonial’s vice president of racing operations Jill Byrne said ahead of the meet. “Our team is excited to present a wide-ranging program of racing opportunities on our outstanding racing surfaces.”

Going into the meet, John Marshall, executive vice president of operations for Colonial, said cooperation also has keyed the track’s growth.

“We are extremely proud of our past performances and the opportunity to build upon our enormous success positioning Colonial Downs as one of the nation’s elite boutique race meetings for horsemen and fans alike,” Marshall said. “The Virginia Equine Alliance and the Virginia HPBA also have provided the commitment and support for our cause to revitalize racing in Virginia and continue its growth and prosperity.”

With plenty of familiar Mid-Atlantic horsemen entering horses, as well as trainers displaced from the shuttered Arlington International Racecourse like Chris Block and Larry Rivelli, this year’s meet has averaged 8.19 starters per race—up slightly from the 8.1 average last year.

With this racing success, Virginia should hopefully soon see a boost in breeding. Just 20 years ago, Virginia’s foal crop was 463, but in 2020 that number fell to 103. And the number of mares bred to Virginia stallions in 2021 was just 19, down from 550 in 2002.

The following appeared in the Richmond Times Dispatch July 31, 2022 as an Opinion article written by former Virginia Racing Commissioner, J. Sargeant Reynolds, Jr.

I remember the morning of Aug. 8, 2019, like it was yesterday. Colonial Downs had been closed for six years and this was the day horse racing returned to the New Kent County track.

None of us were certain what the future would hold for horse racing and breeding, and the state’s many horse farms. What we did know is a good plan was in place via the Virginia Racing Commission (VRC), the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) and others.

Fast forward to today and we are seeing the results of a lot of groups and individuals working hard to make the industry successful for years to come.

Considering Virginia’s horse racing industry and the economic impact it now is generating, it’s evident that the horses have left the gates and are running, so to speak. The industry generated $542.1 million in the commonwealth in 2019, according to a study released in 2021 by the VEA — the organizational body that promotes the racing and breeding industry throughout the state.

Despite the effects of COVID-19, we have seen that jobs are coming back, horse racing-related expenditures are up and tax revenue to the state is increasing. These all are very positive signs, showing that the racing industry is moving in the right direction, and benefiting the commonwealth’s agribusiness and related businesses.

This all is significant because horse racing was at a low point in 2014 after the closure of Colonial Downs. However, the General Assembly took a number of important steps, most notably the passage of historical horse racing (HHR) machines in 2018, that provided the revenue to reopen the track and revitalize the industry. Lawmakers also put in place mechanisms for the VRC and others to dictate how and where monies would flow to the horse farms, and the riders.

The VRC’s mission is to sustain and grow a native horse racing industry with pari-mutuel wagering by prescribing regulations that promote excellence and integrity in racing and wagering. As a former VRC chair and board member, I cannot overstate how much the group has done to partner with others in the state, to make certain the horse racing relaunch was successful and to ensure it will continue into the future.

Even with horse racing industry changes, such as Colonial Downs soon having a new owner, the VRC will be the group that continues to oversee important aspects of the industry. It’s a key functioning body that is driving success, whether it pertains to the horses, the farms or the HHR machines.

Let’s not forget that Virginia has a rich history of breeding and racing thoroughbreds, even from before the days of Triple Crown-winning Secretariat from Caroline County, and continuing to today. The equine industry is an important part of our agriculture economy, especially in rural parts of the commonwealth. A successful horse industry means more farms remain economically viable, which in turn makes it easier to maintain and conserve productive farmland throughout Virginia.

On July 11, Colonial Downs opened its 9-week summer season with a crowd of more than 3,000 people on hand and a record opening-day wagering handle of more than $3 million. The 27-day meet will continue through Sept. 7, with free general admission and a stable area full of horses, all while riders chase $625,000 in purse monies per day.

I’ll be coming out to the track on a regular basis, and I encourage everyone to do the same. Cheer on the horses, particularly on Virginia Derby Day, which is Sept. 6.

I am pleased the results of legislative action, as well as the commission’s work and collaboration, are providing the support needed to ensure that Virginia continues to be a place where the horse industry can thrive.

Trinity Farm’s Red Knight returned from an 11-month layoff to score his ninth lifetime win Wednesday in the inaugural $150,000 Colonial Cup turf test at Colonial Downs. The stakes attracted a field of eleven that battled 1 1/2 miles over the Secretariat Turf Course and was the first stakes race in Colonial’s history to ever be contested at that distance.

The 8-year-old Pure Prize gelding crossed 1 1/2 lengths the best and pushed his career bankroll to $893,258. The winner is trained by Michael Maker and was ridden by Horacio Karamanos.

Both Red Knight and runner-up Another Mystery had to steady shortly after the start when Nathan Detroit clipped heels with another horse and lost his rider, William Humphrey. Both horses stayed mid-pack through the one-mile distance while betting favorite Cellist and La Lune battled back and forth for the lead.

Karamanos maneuvered Red Knight into fourth approaching the final straightaway, came outside and passed Another Mystery and the two frontrunners en route to victory in 2:27.31.

“I got a good break and saved ground early”, said Karamanos. “The trainer told me the horse is ready to win so save ground and wait for your moment. In the second turn he wanted to go but I wouldn’t let him go. I tried to hold him back as best I could. At the top of the stretch, I finally let him go. He gave me a nice kick. He’s got a long beautiful stride so I just let him go. I’ve won many races at 1 1/2 miles,” added Colonial’s all-time leading rider. “In my country, we run long distance so I love it. I’m very confident when I run long distance.”

Red Knight in fact set the Gulfstream Park track record at the two-mile distance in 2018 when he won the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes.

Owner Tom Egan of Trinity Farm was nearly as confident as his jockey heading into Monday’s “Cup”.

“I had high expectations because this horse is a terrific race horse,” he said. “Mike Maker thought he’d run a very big race and he did. He was coming off a long layoff. He needed every bit of that layoff. He was in bad shape last September. He came back and came back all the way at the age of eight. He has a lot of zest for racing. We bred him and we owned his mother,” added Egan. “We love horse racing and it’s been very kind to us.”

Team Block’s Another Mystery finished second and Bruton Street’s Snap Decision was third.

Rider Humphrey suffered a laceration on his right elbow which was stitched up at the track. He did not go to the hospital.

Colonial Downs continues its race season on Monday August 1 with a 1:45 PM post. Featured race is the $100,000 Housebuster Overnight Handicap.

(NEW KENT, VA — 7/22/2022) —- The safety of our equine and human athletes is always a top priority at Colonial Downs. With excessive temperatures and heat indexes predicted, live racing on Monday July 25 has been cancelled. 

Monday’s featured stakes —- the $150,000 Colonial Cup at 1 1/2 turf miles —- will now be run on Wednesday July 27 as originally drawn. 

Live racing resumes on Tuesday July 26 at 1:45 PM.

The Richmond Police Mounted Unit, formed in 1894,  is one of the oldest, continuous mounted units in the country. The equine squad has multiple functions which include a daily patrol throughout the entire city of Richmond, crowd control during major events, occasional search/rescue operations, and to build positive community relations.

Due to the mounted officer’s high visibility, they are considered Ambassadors for the City, capable of maneuvering through a variety of terrain. According to a 2014 study by Oxford University, a mounted officer is six times more likely to be approached by a citizen than an officer on foot. The mounted unit encourages the public to come speak with them and engage with their horses.

Since 1991, the equine unit has benefitted from a 501c3 non-profit group called The Friends of the Richmond Mounted Squad. They help provide awareness, opportunity and financial support to the Richmond Police Mounted Unit.  Friends have generously purchased several horses and equipment for the unit, organized fundraisers and donated many hours of their time to assist. 

The squad, which at one time was 20 strong, currently has four members. The longest serving member is 12-year-old Toby, a percheron-standardbred who has served since the age of five. Aslyn is a 7-year-old percheron-thoroughbred and Banjo, second newest member, is a percheron-standardbred who began duty last October. Marshall, the newest, is a percheron-appaloosa and not quite out on the streets yet — he started just three weeks ago.    

“We like draft crosses now so can get some of the size which can handle male riders,” said Master Patrol Officer Holly Donovan. “They are a great combination of a heavier horse that adds that presence and a lighter horse that they’re not so big that they are hard to get on and transport. These guys are just super calm because they have the draft in them. They take to the city very well and to the kids. They are gentle and kind. We don’t necessarily have the gigantic full percherons or full clydesdales which would be a lot for us to handle on a day-to-day basis.”

“The squad is essentially a patrol unit,” continued Donovan. “We try to visit each of the four precincts in the city every week and help serve as a crime deterrent in high crime areas. Everyone knows when they’re there. The four horses are slow moving and walk around for several hours at a time in those neighborhoods. It gives the officers a chance to make connections and talk to people. There is a lot of public engagement,” she continued. “A patrol car is great but it passes through quickly versus horse patrols, which wander for longer periods of time. People find it comforting and love to come up to meet the horses and talk with us.”

The equine unit serves goodwill purposes too including regular visits to the Memory Unit at the Veteran Affairs Hospital.

“That is one of my favorite activities,” said Donovan. “They roll wheelchairs out and horses go right up to the wheelchairs. Veterans love to tell old war stories. You can just tell it means a lot to them to have horses there. It gives me goosebumps every time.”

Activities through the Police Athletic League (PAL) also serve as a way to reach younger community members.

“We can bring a group of ten kids out to the barn for a morning and they get to have hands on experiences with the horses. It’s a great way to engage the kids and make that connection with an officer. It keeps lines of communication open with police which is especially important in the city.”

The squad of four currently resides in their stable downtown at 1201 Brook Road right under the Chamberlayne Road overpass. They are in desperate need of a new facility and fundraising efforts to facilitate a move have been underway for several years now. 

“The barn has cramped quarters,” said Donovan . “The building has been condemned. The turnout space is completely inadequate for any horse living under that bridge. The proximity to the roadway is a negative factor. We can’t train on site. Since there is no ring, we always have to ship somewhere else to train.” 

Good news though may be on the horizon as plans to hopefully relocate the squad’s home base are underway. The city has 30 acres off Government and Crestview Road near Gillies Creek Park and a $3.1 million “Raise the Barn 2022” fundraising campaign is underway with hopes of building a new barn on that property. 

The Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), whose goal is to sustain, promote and expand horse breeding and horse racing opportunities in the Commonwealth, often extends its support to other equine-related organizations. On July 25, the VEA will make a special contribution to the “Friends of the Richmond Mounted Squad” in the Colonial Downs winner’s circle after the seventh race. The donation will help the unit toward its goal in the “Raise the Barn 2022” initiative and hopefully soon lead to a new home for the squad.  

The following appeared at richmond.com on July 10 and was written by Wayne Epps.

Twenty-five years ago, Williams found himself in the winner’s circle on what was a historic day for horse racing in the Commonwealth.

That day, Sept. 1, 1997, was opening day at Colonial Downs, the first-ever day of pari-mutuel racing at the New Kent track. And in the fourth race on the program, a mile-long dash, Williams’ Hagley’s Hero won — garnish on what was already a momentous occasion for he and other local horse owners.

“That opening day was just spectacular, to be able to be here and race here in the state of Virginia, and be so close to home,” said Williams, who owns Garydale Farm, a horse training facility in Henrico.

And 25 years later, he and friend George Gregory are back at Colonial Downs once again. Their friendship dates back well before Colonial Downs opened — since the late 1950s estimates Gregory, a New Kent-based horse owner. Gregory joined Williams in the winner’s circle when Hagley’s Hero triumphed in 1997, and both have been regulars at Colonial Downs since.

They’re both in their 80s now. But as they prepared for this summer’s set of races near their barn stalls on Thursday morning, the vigor they have for horse racing was written on their faces.

The bug bit both long ago. And they remain peers in a sport that doubles as a passion, heading into a meet with the track’s most race dates ever: 27, beginning on Monday.

“It’s just one of those things. It gets in your blood,” Williams said of racing. “And it’s in our blood.”

For Williams, it got there through a friend. The friend was a jockey, and Williams joked that he “made the mistake” of joining him at races. Williams became hooked.

The owner of the Richmond-based Total Printing Company, Williams bought what became Garydale Farm some six decades ago.

“Total Printing is work,” Williams said. “The horse racing business is entertainment and fun.”

Gregory’s father introduced him to the sport, and he obtained his first horse in 1957. It was something he, like Williams, loved.

The competitiveness of horse racing is the driver, Williams said. He and Gregory, who was a longtime farmer at his 578-acre Castle Farm in New Kent, may be friends but Williams made it clear that his goal is always to beat Gregory or whoever else he may be lined up against. According to Equibase, Williams has 246 total first-place finishes to his name.

“If you are a sports-minded person, you like the competitiveness,” Williams said. “And I just like horses and I like the competitiveness. So that’s why I bought a farm. I train my own horses on the farm. And I do everything myself. And I’m a very competitive person.”

He and Gregory were already longtime competitors by the time Colonial Downs popped up. The track’s opening was a blessing to them, Williams said — close by, when they were used to racking up miles driving to Maryland and West Virginia to race.

Hagley’s Hero had only won three of his previous 48 starts before Colonial Downs’ opening day in 1997. But, ridden by jockey Carol Rice, he established a clear lead and held it in a race that was reserved for horses bred in Virginia, finishing in 1:35.56.

“It was great to be able to race and perform here at Colonial,” Williams said.

In the years that followed, when it comes to meets at Colonial Downs, “We don’t miss any,” Williams said, referring to he and Gregory.

The two don’t spend a ton of time together outside of racetracks, though Gregory has trained horses on Williams’ half-mile training track at Garydale Farm. But, at Colonial Downs, the friends “unite as one,” Williams said.

The business of horse racing has changed much over the years. There were a lot of horse farms in the area at one time, Williams said. Those numbers have dropped. There was no racing at Colonial Downs from 2014-18, after former track owner Jacobs Entertainment surrendered its license to operate and before the track was sold in 2018, to what was then Revolutionary Racing. 

“Hoping that Colonial Downs will get more [race] days and more people will buy farms and raise horses in Virginia,” Williams said. “Which will bring more help and riders to Virginia. And that’s all we can hope for.”

Churchill Downs is in the process of acquiring Colonial Downs’ parent company, a deal revealed earlier this year. That could lead to further evolution at the track — Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen told The Times-Dispatch in March that he foresees the track jumping to as many as 50 days of racing.

For now, this race season, Colonial Downs will go from 21 race days last year to a record 27 this year. Daily purses will average $600,000, and the meet will continue through Sept. 7. The $300,000 Virginia Derby and $200,000 Virginia Oaks will be contested on Sept. 6.

Williams plans to have seven of his horses at Colonial Downs this year and Gregory has one, Blue Bonnie.

“Colonial Downs has got the best facility that I’ve ever run at, I think,” said Gregory. “We’ve run all over.”

Williams is back at Colonial Downs after recovering from a heart attack suffered in January. But he wasn’t going to let something like that get in the way of racing, he said. He’s recovered and said he’s doing well now.

And so there he and Gregory were on Thursday, energetic, with the start of this year’s meet quickly approaching.

The passion for racing still burns bright in them, perhaps even more at Colonial Downs than at any other track.

“Colonial Downs is Colonial Downs. That’s just the way it is,” Williams said. “Like going to Madison Square Garden. Madison Square Garden, whoever’s playing there, it doesn’t matter. It’s the same thing.”

wepps@timesdispatch.com