BY GRAHAM MOOMAW Richmond Times-Dispatch

There was no dirt to shovel in the asphalt expanse of the old Kmart parking lot, so representatives from Colonial Downs and the city of Richmond did the next best thing.

They unfurled a “Coming Soon” banner outside the former big-box store off Midlothian Turnpike on Wednesday to herald the expected June 2019 opening of the first Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, a horse betting facility officials called a major boost to a part of the city that’s often overlooked.

“We are excited about one of the largest economic development deals to take place in the Ninth District in years,” said City Councilman Michael Jones.

Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney , right, 9th District Councilman Michael Jones, center, and John Marshall, Senior Vice-President and General Manager of Colonial Downs, left, prepare to feed carrots to retired racehorse Brownie Girl, with rider Dana Harris up, following an announcement Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 that Rosie’s Gaming Emporium will open in the old K-Mart space on Midlothian Turnpike in Richmond, VA.

There was no dirt to shovel in the asphalt expanse of the old Kmart parking lot, so representatives from Colonial Downs and the city of Richmond did the next best There was no dirt to shovel in the asphalt expanse of the old Kmart parking lot, so representatives from Colonial Downs and the city of Richmond did the next best thing.

They unfurled a “Coming Soon” banner outside the former big-box store off Midlothian Turnpike on Wednesday to herald the expected June 2019 opening of the first Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, a horse betting facility officials called a major boost to a part of the city that’s often overlooked.

“We are excited about one of the largest economic development deals to take place in the Ninth District in years,” said City Councilman Michael Jones.

The South Richmond project – part of a multi-pronged push to reopen the Colonial Downs race track in New Kent County and establish a handful of off-track betting centers elsewhere in Virginia – is expected to bring 150 to 200 jobs with an average salary of more than $40,000.

The facility will feature a restaurant and bar, a simulcast betting facility that will live stream thoroughbred races from other states and 700 historical horse racing terminals, the newly legalized slots-like gambling machines powered by an archive of horse races.

“It will not be long before Rosie’s hosts Richmond’s biggest Kentucky Derby party, Richmond’s biggest Preakness party and Richmond’s biggest Virginia Derby party,” said John Marshall, senior vice president and general manager for Colonial Downs.

The $41 million project is projected to generate $15.5 million in tax revenue each year, with $3 million to $4 million going to the city of Richmond, according to Colonial Downs.

Jones challenged Mayor Levar Stoney to a race on Brownie Girl and Judge, two horses that stood next to the crowd of about 75 people at Wednesday’s groundbreaking ceremony. The mayor declined, but the two men fed carrots to the event’s equine stars.

Stoney thanked several New Kent officials who were in the audience, saying “nothing big” in the Richmond region happens without cooperation.

“I can’t wait to come down here and look at the change that will occur in this parking lot,” Stoney said. “It will be truly revolutionary.”

Chicago-based Revolutionary Racing purchased Colonial Downs in April from the track’s original owner, Jacobs Entertainment. Jacobs shuttered the track in 2014 and surrendered its license, a major setback for the Virginia racing industry.

The sale of the track earlier this year was made possible by legislation that legalized historical horse racing machines, which will bring in new gambling revenues to support live racing.

Unlike other businesses that come to town offering job-creating projects, Jones said, the new Colonial Downs owners didn’t ask for tax breaks or other subsidies they could “squeeze out of the city and Richmond taxpayers.” Instead, Jones said, the company has pledged to give $500,000 to nearby Miles Jones Elementary School over five years.

Neighbors had some concerns that a gambling facility might bring crime, Jones said, but Colonial Downs representatives held community meetings to ease those fears and promise a well-lit facility with security cameras pointing in all directions.

“They did it the right way,” Jones said.

Colonial Downs is pursuing similar off-track betting facilities in Hampton, Chesapeake and the town of Vinton in Roanoke County.

(Doswell, VA)  – The children of Penny Chenery – Sarah Tweedy Manning, Kate Chenery Tweedy, Christopher Tweedy and John Tweedy – have announced that their mother’s ashes were interred in Virginia on October 20.  A memorial service was held at St. James the Less Episcopal Church in Ashland, followed by a private graveside service at the Chenery family plot in Woodland Cemetery. Penny’s ashes were buried next to the graves of her father Christopher T. Chenery and her mother Helen Bates Chenery.

Beloved by legions of fans as Secretariat’s owner, Penny passed away on September 16, 2017 at the age of 95, the same date as her father’s birthday.  Christopher Chenery founded Meadow Stable in 1936 and established the Thoroughbred bloodlines that would eventually produce the legendary Secretariat.

In his heartfelt eulogy, John Tweedy spoke movingly of his mother’s deep love for the land and horses. Here is an excerpt:

“One of the Thoroughbred trade magazines published a photo spread about the Meadow farm in Doswell.  Mom had it laminated and framed, and she hung it on the wall of the office she created out of the sunroom of our Colorado home.  I recall the title of the article distinctly.  It was ‘Of Home, and Land, and Horses.’

And that’s what her soul needed.  She needed horses, not for ambition or sport, but for the connection to the living world of animals that she had grown up with.  The spirit of ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful’ that her father had loved.  The noble goodness you see looking into the deep of a horse’s eye.

Virginia was the family’s real home.  It is, of course, where the Chenery family is from for generations back.  It’s where Chris Chenery returned once he became rich up north, to restore the Meadow to its former grandeur and raise it to the first rank of the horse world.

We decided it was important to bring her home, to be with her father, to this ground, as her final resting place.”

Kate Tweedy noted that her family has a deep appreciation for their ties to Virginia and what Penny meant to her fans.

“We are very committed to keeping Penny’s legacy alive, along with that of Secretariat and his birthplace, The Meadow,” Ms. Tweedy said.

The NTRA has issued their October 2018 newsletter providing readers with discounts via partner programs that in turn provide a percentage of each sale back to thoroughbred racing.

Checkout the online version of the newsletter.

            C. Oliver (Ollie) Iselin lll,  a native of Middleburg who was an All-American rower when he captained the Harvard crew team and later served for more than 20 years in the CIA in posts in north and west Africa , died at his home on Oct. 10 from congestive heart failure. He was 90.

C. Oliver Iselin, III of Wolver Hill Farm

            Mr. Iselin joined the agency in 1951 shortly after he graduated from Harvard. He was given a medical discharge from the agency in 1973 when he was diagnosed with lymphoma at the age of 45. He retired from government service, eventually returning to his farm in Middleburg and later went into a complete remission.

            Mr. Iselin became an accomplished polo player when he was stationed in Tangier, Morocco from 1954-1960 and continued to play the sport after leaving the CIA, competing locally and abroad.

            Mr. Iselin’s grandfather, banker and philanthropist C. Oliver Iselin, was considered the pre-eminent American yachtsmen of his time, participating in and winning six consecutive America’s Cup races in 1887, 1893, 1895, 1899, 1901 and 1903.

          Mr. Iselin grew up on his parents’ Middleburg farm and lived there for another 38 years after their deaths in the late 1970s. He attended The Hill School in Middleburg, St. Albans  in Washington, D.C. and graduated from St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Mass. in 1945. While at St. Mark’s, he also attended Foxcroft for six weeks when  a measles epidemic closed down St. Mark’s. He was the first male student to attend Foxcroft, an all-girls school then and now.

          He was in the class of 1949 at Harvard, but graduated in 1951 after spending two years in the U.S. Army before returning to Cambridge to earn his degree. He was a member of the Porcellian Club and the Harvard Lampoon. He was captain and named an All-American rower for the Harvard crew team that won the Grand Challenge Cup at the prestigious Royal Henley Regatta in England in 1950.

            He was married to the former Julie Thayer (Dody Vehr) in 1953. They lived in Georgetown, Great Falls and later purchased a farm in Unison, Virginia. They divorced in 1978 and Mr. Iselin later married Mary Sprague (“Swannie”) Cunningham. They lived at Wolver Hill Farm in Middleburg where Mr. Iselin grew up, successfully breeding, selling and racing thoroughbred horses, farming cattle and growing crops.

            Mr. Iselin was on the board of directors of the Middleburg Bank for many years, succeeding his father. He also was on the board of Midleburg’s Sharon Cemetery and a member of the Ristigouche Salmon Club and Middleburg Tennis Club.

            He was a wonderful father, grandfather, and employer and respected and loved by many, a true gentleman in every sense of the word.

            Mr. Iselin is survived by his wife, his daughter, Julie Iselin Diehl, of Middleburg, a sister, Barbara Sears, 96, of Hamilton, Mass., and two grandsons, Daniel Iselin Malone of Denver, Colorado and Malcolm Thayer Malone of Bozeman, Montana and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by a sister, Nancy Marburg of Lutherville, Maryland.

There was a wide variety of results for the Virginia-breds that went through the ring at the recent Keeneland September Sales. Lazy Lane Farms, LLC bred the sales topping Virginia-bred, a beautiful Into Mischief colt out of Life in Seattle. Consigned by Virginia-bred Kitty Taylor’s,  Warrendale Sales, he was purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbreds Partners and Twin Creeks Racing for $460,000.

Lazy Lanes Into Mischief colt

Audley Farm sold a very nice Invinsible Spirit (IRE) colt out of Fairytale Ending (IRE) to Polo Green Stable, Inc. for $240,000. Unfortunately the hurricane delayed our photographer’s arrival at Keeneland so we do not have a photo of every Virginia-bred that went through the ring but below are the horses photographed and a summary of how they did.

Chilly Bleak’s Fed Biz Filly out of Hottie Dancer sold to Charles Hovitz for $95,000

Art Affair -Midnight Lute colt bred by Jim and Katie Fitzgerald sold to Sallusto & Albina, agent for $50,000

Eaton Sales sold this Hold Me Back colt out of Stylish Affair to Athens Woods, LLC for $25,000

Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin bred this Flat Out colt out of Enterprise Beach that sold for $45,000

Dale Romans bought this Smitten Farm bred filly by Paynter out of Polite Smile for $27,000

Oracle Bloodstock, Agent bought the Blame colt out of Neat Package for $20,000.

Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin bred the filly by City Zip out of Delaneys Star that was bought by Gail Cox, agent for $30,000

This Twirling Candy colt is the first foal out of G2 placed Aspenglow. Bred by Nancy Terhune and Ernest Frohboese he was purchased by Bob Cappelletti, Agt. for $20,000

Eaton Sales sold this Iselin bred Fed Biz filly to Renfrew Racing for $25,000

The Point of Entry filly out of Gone Surfin’ sold to Spring House Farm

Greg Foley, Agt. bought the Discreetly Mine – Summertime Green filly bred by Smitten Farm

Audley Farm bred this Curlin colt out of Secredt Indy which sold to Truly Blue Equine

Chance Farm bred the Sky Mesa colt out of Misty Rain that sold for $25,000 to Vincente Potaro, agent

Virginia Oaks (G3) winner Blind Date is the dam of this filly by Super Saver that sold for $45,000.

Morgan’s Ford bred the filly out of Pearls by Animal Kingdom.

If you have not already completed an American Horse Council Economic Impact Survey, please do so. The Virginia Horse Industry Board has contracted with the AHC to provide economic impact data for Virginia’s horse industry. The plan is for these surveys to be conducted on a regular basis so there is current data to use when speaking with local and state government officials.

The American Horse Council Foundation (AHCF) announced that it will be extending the deadline to complete the horse owner and supplier survey to update the National Economic Impact Study to August 18th.

The main survey is designed to capture the impact of individual horse owners (whether commercial or recreational) and industry suppliers of equine-related goods and services. To take the horse owner & supplier survey please click here:
Please note, all personal information collected in the survey will be confidential and will not be distributed. The AHC encourages individuals to share the study link above via email, social media, etc. in order to ensure maximum participation.

The 2017 Economic Impact Study will contain expanded demographics with youth participation and additional segments of the industry, including Equine Assisted Activities and Therapies, Equine Sanctuaries and Rescues, Equine Academic Programs, and Equine Youth Organizations. If you are interested in receiving one of these survey links, please contact the AHC at info@horsecouncil.org.

Keith Pendleton Waldrop, beloved father and Pop, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family on July 6, 2017. Born February 1, 1932, he was the son of the late Richard Nelson Waldrop and Carrie Bessie Wickham Waldrop. He was predeceased on April 23, 2017 by the love of his life, Barbara Dee Bowles Waldrop, with whom he shared over 64 extraordinary years. Keith was also predeceased by five older brothers, Richard Glen Waldrop, John Allen Waldrop, Claude Gwaltney Waldrop, Raymond Nelson Waldrop and Herbert Franklin Waldrop.

A lifelong resident of Hanover County, Keith was born and raised in Montpelier, Va. on his family’s farm that has been in operation since the mid-19th century, when his great-grandfather purchased the property. A farmer by trade and a consummate gentleman at heart, he was Senior Partner of his beloved Kee-Barb farm, where he and Barbara worked side-by-side. He raised wheat, corn, tobacco, hogs, Black Angus cattle, and sheep. Keith built a thriving hay business in the early 1970s that is still in operation today. He thought of his hay customers as family and their warm-hearted relationships have lasted for over five decades. In addition to farming, Keith worked for The Virginia Crop Reporting Agency and for the U.S. Department of Agriculture as state supervisor for the Virginia Statistician Office for 37 years. He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Dark Fired Tobacco Association and a member of the Board of Directors for the Sun-cured Tobacco Marketing Cooperative for 50 years, where he also served as President and Marketing Manager.

Keith was a member of the Virginia Thoroughbred Horse Association, where he enjoyed seeing the horses run. He loved the western Hanover community and was active in many organizations, including: The Hanover Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation (ASCS) Agency- Farm Service Agency, the Montpelier Ruritan Club, where he served as president, the Montpelier Jaycees Club, the Hanover County Farm Bureau, and he served on the Board of Directors for The Montpelier Center for Arts and Education.

Keith and Barbara were a remarkable couple. One was rarely seen without the other and they never knew a stranger. They opened their hearts and home to family and friends for countless celebrations. Their fun-loving nature and warm hospitality endeared them to everyone. Together, they raised their two children and over 25 foster children. Keith loved his family more than words can describe and he instilled in his children and grandchildren a deep sense of faith, a strong work ethic, and a cheerful approach to life. He was our rock; the patriarch of our family, and his spirit will continue to live in each of us. Keith is survived by his daughter, Tricia Miller Melton and her husband, Charles; his son, Wayne Keith Waldrop and his wife, Deanna; and Patricia Graham, whom he thought of as a daughter. Keith is also survived by his precious grandchildren, whom he loved dearly and who loved their Pop in return, Lauren Miller Bischoff and her husband, William, Richard Grayson Waldrop, Ashley Brooke Miller, Claire Waldrop Jackson and her husband, Blake, and Taylor McKenzie Miller. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Janie Cross Bowles and Ida Keeton Waldrop. Our family wishes to thank Cindy Adams for her tender care and the vast number of family and friends who brightened his last days with constant visits, food, and prayers. Keith was a faithful member of Hopeful Baptist Church for over 80 years. He sang in the church choir and in the Hopeful Six sextet, which he greatly enjoyed. He also served numerous years as a Deacon, Sunday school superintendent, Sunday school teacher, Trustee, and on various church committees.

A gathering of family and friends will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, July 8, at Bliley’s-Central, 3801 Augusta Avenue, Richmond, Va. 23230. Funeral services will be held at Hopeful Baptist Church, 14340 Hopeful Church Road, Montpelier, Va. 23192 on Sunday, July 9, at 2 p.m. Interment in the church cemetery. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Hopeful Baptist Church, 14340 Hopeful Church Road, Montpelier, Va. 23192 or The Montpelier Center for Arts and Education, 17205 Mountain Road, Montpelier, Va. 23192. Please join the family for lunch at Kee-Barb Farm immediately following the funeral service.