Horse racing, fancy hats, tailgating, spring fashions and Virginia hospitality highlight
D.C.’s premier spring event

THE PLAINS, Va., Feb. 21, 2023– One of the nation’s oldest and largest steeplechase events, the Virginia Gold Cup celebrates its 98^th anniversary this year on Saturday, May 6, at Great Meadow in The Plains. Tickets are on sale and are quickly selling.

As one of the Washington, D.C. region’s largest and oldest outdoor events, more than 50,000 people come out in their race-day finest to socialize and entertain. The fashion at the event has become as popular with a variety of hats and a fiercely competitive hat contest. Celebrity judges will decide whose hats are the most impressive in the day’s hat contest. There is also an equally competitive tailgate contest with prizes for the top three winners.

The Gold Cup’s long-standing tradition beckons to national celebrities, local VIPs, D.C. politicians as well as visitors from around the world. Characterized by lavish tailgate spreads, sleek thoroughbreds and exciting hoof-pounding competition, many companies have capitalized on what the day has to offer by getting involved with sponsorships, purchasing tents to entertain, and some actually end up doing business there.

Steeplechase offers a fast-action sport in a refined social setting and, at the Gold Cup, some of the best horses and jockeys compete over hurdles and timber fences.  Held every year on the first Saturday in May, the Virginia Gold Cup enjoys a spectacular setting in the heart of Virginia’s horse country with the Blue Ridge Mountains serving as the backdrop. It is Virginia’s answer to the Kentucky Derby.

The 98^th Annual Running of the Virginia Gold Cup will take place on Saturday, May 6 at Great Meadow in The Plains. Gates open at 10 a.m. with the National Anthem and color guard pre-race at 12:30 p.m. The tailgate contest judging begins at 12:45 p.m. and the first of eight horse races will be underway at 1 p.m.

Tailgate packages, which now include tents in most areas, and Members Hill entertaining tents are available. Purchases can be made online at www.vagoldcup.com/va/tickets or by calling 540-347-2612. As in recent years, attendees must be an invited guest of a tailgate or an invited guest of a hospitality tent. General Admission ticketing has returned for 2023.

Great Meadow is located just 45 minutes west of Washington, D.C. and is in close proximity to Dulles International Airport. To get there from Washington, D.C., take I-66 west to The Plains exit. Turn left at the end of the ramp onto The Plains Road (Route 245 south), follow signs to Great Meadow which will be on your left. Call 540-347-2612 for additional information or visit the web site at www.vagoldcup.com.

The 2023 Virginia Gold Cup Races are presented by Atlantic Union Bank, Brown Advisory, Virginia Equine Alliance, VHBPA, and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association.

####

The following appeared on the kentuckyderby.com website. The 2023 “Run for the Roses” will be contested May 6 at Churchill Downs. Fans in Virginia can wager the big event at any Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, VA-Horseplay OTB, at the Virginia Gold Cup Races and at Shenandoah Downs, and online via Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com and NYRABts.com.

Fifty years after Virginia-bred Secretariat took the Triple Crown by storm, a champion colt with deep connections to the Old Dominion is the early favorite for the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1). Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) hero Forte is a Kentucky-bred who grew up as a yearling in the Bluegrass. But he spent much of his babyhood at breeder Amy Moore’s South Gate Farm in Virginia, under the care of his accomplished Virginia-bred mother. 

That mare, Queen Caroline, was a remarkable first purchase for Moore. A retired attorney with an equestrian background from her formative years, Moore wanted to get involved in racing and breeding. While scouting out fillies at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she came across a lovely daughter of champion Blame, best known for holding off Hall of Famer Zenyatta in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

The Blame filly was bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm in Virginia, but the geographical connection was not at all what caught Moore’s eye.

“It was happenstance,” Moore said. “I went to Keeneland and looked at yearling fillies. I wanted a filly because I wanted to be able to breed it if I had any success racing it.

“She was the only one on my list that got an A+ for conformation – a really pretty filly.”

Moore purchased her for $170,000 and came up with a clever name. Alluding to both her sire and dam, the stakes-winning Queens Plaza, she was named for a queen who came in for blame…Queen Caroline. 

The estranged consort of King George IV, Caroline of Brunswick was caught up in an early 19th-century British royal scandal. They were married when George was still Prince of Wales, but the union was doomed from the start, and they were soon living separate lives. The crisis point came when George acceded to the throne, and he sought to divorce Caroline on the grounds of adultery. She was far more popular than George, however, and his effort failed. Nevertheless, Caroline was still barred from his coronation in July 1821, and she died soon after. 

The equine Queen Caroline would turn out much happier.

“She was the first horse of any kind I actually owned,” Moore noted, since in her youthful riding days, she was always on other people’s horses.

Moore chose Michael Matz as her trainer, citing the combination of his horsemanship and proximity at Fair Hill in Maryland. Matz’s highlights in Thoroughbred racing include training 2006 Kentucky Derby legend Barbaro, but his experience goes well back to his days on the show jumping circuit.

“I knew of him, because in my youth I had been a show horse rider at the time he was a Grand Prix rider. I knew him as an excellent horseman,” Moore said. “I wanted to have a horse at Fair Hill, which is a place I can get to and return from in a day’s drive. It’s a nice training facility for a horse – they get turn-out places and woods to go through.”

Under Matz’s tutelage, Queen Caroline became a multiple stakes winner who earned $401,608. She was twice honored as a champion among Virginia-breds, taking top three-year-old filly honors in 2016 and the turf female title in 2017. 

Queen Caroline retired after a limited 2018 campaign. Visiting the well-bred Violence in 2019, she delivered a flashy colt with four white feet on February 3, 2020, at the Cowles family’s Gunston Hall Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. There was one other noticeable thing about the newborn.

“He was born with floppy ears,” Moore recalled. “His ears flopped like a puppy! But they straightened out in a few days after he was born.”

Although a first-time mother, Queen Caroline took on her new role like a pro.

“She was a good mother right from the start,” Moore said. “She is a class act!”

Queen Caroline remained at Gunston Hall as she prepared to be bred back to champion Uncle Mo. Thus her colt spent his first couple of months in the Bluegrass, tended by Larmon Cowles and his team. 

Once Queen Caroline was safely in foal again, mother and son went home in early May 2020 to South Gate Farm near Millwood, Virginia. Here are Queen Caroline with her colt (left) and their paddock mates, the mare Rose to Fame and her foal (a Cairo Prince colt who would be named Prince of Roses).

The colt was nicknamed “Gaudy” because of his snazzy white socks, but his personality was more introverted than his markings at that stage.

“Before he was weaned, he was quite shy,” Moore revealed. “He tended to hide behind his mother when you went into the stall.

“Once he was weaned, he blossomed. He was bold and very friendly. He liked to be petted and liked to be scratched.”

“Gaudy” enjoyed learning the art of eating carrots, as taught by Moore’s niece, Emily Ellis (pictured above, holding him to get the right angle for his registration photo). He munched on something else too – his paddock buddy’s tail, chewing the end of it right off!

Later that fall, the weanling would bid adieu to his Virginia family and return to Kentucky for the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. There he was sold for $80,000 as a weanling to Silver Hill, a venture of Eaton Sales impresario Reiley McDonald who operates Athens Woods Farm near Lexington, Kentucky.

McDonald had expected to pay more for the weanling, purchased with a view toward reselling as a yearling. But sire Violence wasn’t that hot a commodity at the time. McDonald noticed that the colt had a bit of a lump on his back, near the tail, but surmised it was just a fatty deposit. Sure enough, that’s all it was, and it gradually went away on its own.

As the yearling developed, he continued to be both handsome and outgoing.

“There’s always one or two of them you get a special feeling for,” McDonald said, and this colt inspired just that kind of inkling.

“He was such a striking horse,” ever the one to catch your eye while driving around the farm.

“He was pretty, almost black, with the white on his face. He was so balanced and leggy that you could tell he was going to grow into a tall horse.”

The colt’s leadership of his paddock mates also set him apart.

“If you happened to be walking through the farm,” McDonald said, “he was always the first to trot over. He wanted to be scratched behind the ear.”

Then the rest of the colts would follow.

“He was ‘the man’ out in the field, the leader. Where he went, they went.”

Under the Eaton banner, the yearling was offered back at Keeneland in September. He brought a little more at $110,000, but that was a bargain considering the hefty sums spent by his high-profile buyers – Mike Repole’s Repole Stable and Vincent Viola’s St. Elias – on other yearlings. Jacob West of West Bloodstock and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher were among the advisory team who found the youngster.

The yet-unnamed colt was sent straightaway to Ocala Stud for his early education. Part of Florida racing lore as the Sunshine State’s oldest operating Thoroughbred nursery, Ocala Stud has ties to several Kentucky Derby winners. Needles, the first Florida-bred to wear the roses in 1956, hailed from the property when it belonged to Dickey Stables. Carry Back (1961) was born, raised, and first trained at Ocala Stud, and both Unbridled (1990) and Street Sense (2007) went to school here.

Forte was a “really nice horse from day one,” Ocala Stud’s David O’Farrell observed. “He was very forward, very early. He always wanted to do more.”

As the curriculum advanced, Forte stood out.

“When he started breezing, he was a cut above the rest,” O’Farrell said. “He was always the head of the class. He was ‘the man.’

“We always felt like he could be a really good horse, from the day he stepped off the van.”

When Pletcher was in town for OBS March, the star pupil was pointed out as one ready to begin his program early in the spring. The juvenile accordingly graduated from Ocala.

Posting his first official work at Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs base on Apr. 1, 2022, he stretched his legs a quarter-mile in :25.16. He would then receive the honorable name Forte, “strength” in Italian.

Forte proved strong indeed on the racetrack. After romping as the 1-5 favorite in his May 27 debut at Belmont Park, he was a rallying fourth in the Sanford (G3) on a deeper, tiring surface at Saratoga. Forte was back in winning form next time out at the Spa in the Hopeful (G1). In the process, he topped a remarkable all-Eaton graduate trifecta with Gulfport and Blazing Sevens. Forte successfully stretched out to two turns in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, prevailing in a terrific battle with Loggins, then clinched his Eclipse Award in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. 

Meanwhile, his yearling half-brother was making headlines too. Queen Caroline’s 2021 foal by Uncle Mo turned out to be quite a stunner. Touring the sales ring at Keeneland September, after Forte’s Hopeful victory, he commanded $850,000 from Ocala’s Mayberry Farm. The Uncle Mo youngster is currently limbering up at Mayberry, whose famous graduates include Hall of Famer Zenyatta, 2022 Derby upsetter Rich Strike, and recently crowned Horse of the Year Flightline.

Queen Caroline will meet Flightline himself soon. She’s among the stellar mares booked to the unbeaten champion in his first season at stud. By the first Saturday in May, she could be carrying a half-sibling to the Derby winner.

McDonald is delighted for Repole and Viola.

“I have a lot of respect for both gentlemen,” McDonald said. “I happen to know Vinnie quite well, and it makes it so much fun to see him having so much fun with a one-of-a-kind racehorse.”

Photo credits:

Photos of Forte as a newborn and 10-day-old at Gunston Hall Farm by Larmon Cowles
Photo of Forte running in the field at South Gate Farm by Emily Ellis
Photos of Forte as an older foal and weanling at South Gate Farm by Amy Moore
Photo of Forte winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by Horsephotos.com

Diana Firestone was a lifelong equestrienne and award-winning owner/breeder.

Originally published on Bloodhorse.com on 2/14/2023, written by Eric Mitchell

Lifelong equestrienne and accomplished owner/breeder Diana Melville Johnson Firestone died Feb. 12 at her home in West Palm Beach, Fla., her family confirmed Feb. 14. She was 91.

The tremendous loss to the Thoroughbred racing community, first reported by Thoroughbred Daily News, comes a year and half after the loss of her husband, Bertram Robert Firestone, in July 2021.

Born in New Brunswick, N.J., in 1932, Firestone was the daughter of John Seward Johnson, an executive and director of Johnson & Johnson, and Ruth Dill Johnson, a native of Bermuda. She was the granddaughter of Johnson & Johnson founder Robert Wood Johnson.

Firestone learned to ride in England with her siblings Mary Lea, Elaine, and Seward Jr., and riding quickly became her first love. In her school days at The Madeira School, she rode hunters and jumpers and fox hunted across Virginia’s northern landscape. After graduating from Bennett Junior College, Firestone had a renowned equestrian career, representing the United States in horse races and shows worldwide.

She was first married to Richard G. Stokes and then to Bert Firestone in 1973. Together, Bert and Diana bought a 1,400-acre farm in Virginia they named Catoctin after a creek running through the property. They also would later own Big Sink Farm near Lexington.

Not content with just riding, she was instrumental in the creation of a highly successful Thoroughbred breeding operation, breeding and racing seven Eclipse Award winners, including Honest Pleasure (1975 champion 2-year-old colt), What a Summer (1977 champion sprinter), and April Run (1982 champion grass mare). Running in Firestone’s familiar green and white silks, Genuine Risk won the 1980 Kentucky Derby (G1), becoming the second filly to win the premier American classic, and remains the only filly on record to win or place in all three of the Triple Crown races. Genuine Risk was honored as the year’s champion 3-year-old filly and the Firestones were honored as Outstanding Owner.

Through 2016, the Firestones campaigned 51 graded/group stakes winners, which included 17 grade/group 1 winners and five champions. Among their outstanding runners was Theatrical, a six-time grade 1 winner and 1987 Eclipse champion grass horse that put a promising young trainer and future Hall of Famer named Bill Mott on the map.

“Number one, Diana was a good horsewoman. She knew horses, she knew breeding, and understood pedigrees,” recalled Mott. “As important, she and Bert were nice people. They were my ticket to New York and a lot my success I owe to them.”

Mott said he valued the experience the Firestones brought to their racing operation.

“The most difficult time for owners, and even trainers, is the first 10 years,” he said. “After that, they understand things a lot better. The Firestones already had a lot of experience when I started with them in 1987. They had plenty of experience and patience and understanding.”

As breeders, the Firestones produced 11 graded/group winners since 1991, including nine-time graded stakes winner and four-time grade 1 winner Paradise Creek. Among the top runners they bred are grade 1 winner Shinko Lovely, grade 1 winner Chief Honcho, and four-time grade 1 winner Winchester.

Diana Firestone’s enormous love and commitment to equestrian sports was recognized by the American Horse Shows Association with its Walter B. Devereux Trophy, which honors those who have exemplified the ideal of good sportsmanship through commitment, dedication, and service.

They were ardent supporters of horse welfare on many fronts, including as founding committee members for Virginia Tech’s Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center.

“Bert and Diana Firestone, as early members…were instrumental in helping to bring recognition to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech,” said professor emeritus G. Frederick Fregin, who served as director for the center’s first 20 years, in 2021. “The Firestones’ financial gifts to the EMC allowed us to begin service to the equine community with state-of-the-art equipment. Their support continued throughout their tenure on the committee and helped to complete an EMC Advisory Council initiative to purchase new MRI technology.”

Firestone passed her love of horses and farm life to her children. Her daughter Alison Robitaille continues her legacy as a highly competitive Grand Prix rider. Firestone’s family recalled she was passionate, too, about the land on which she raised her family, having owned farms in Virginia, Florida, and Ireland—including Cabin Run, Shenstone, Catoctin, Gilltown and Newstead. She always improved every farm she touched.

“When she wasn’t with her horses or her family, she was watering trees or caring for the gardens, always with a happy dog, or three, tagging along behind her,” the family wrote in a memorial to her.

Firestone once said: “Horses, with the single exception of my family, have been the most important thing in my life.”

She is survived by four children, Lorna Stokes, Christopher Stokes, Cricket MacDonald, and Alison Robitaille; three stepsons, Matthew Firestone, Ted Firestone, and Greg Firestone; and 16 grandchildren.

CHARLOTESVILLE, Va. – February 15, 2023 – Virginia’s horse racing venues have
announced spring racing dates for a series of Point-to-Point, Steeplechase and Harness Racing
events and the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) is encouraging Virginia fans to take note of this
spring’s schedule and attend the races.

“We are looking forward to seeing fans at this year’s races,” said Darrell Wood, Communications
Director for the Virginia Equine Alliance. “The last live racing events were in early November
so it’s been several months since fans have been able to experience the thrill of live horse
racing.”

The Point-to-Point (PTP) races will begin on March 4, 2023, as follows:

• March 4: Rappahannock PTP in Boston, VA
• March 18: Warrenton Hunt PTP at Airlie Racecourse
• March 25: Piedmont Fox Hounds PTP in Upperville
• April 8: Old Dominion Hounds PTP in Ben Venue
• April 16: Blue Ridge Hunt PTP in Berryville
• April 23: Loudoun Hunt PTP in Leesburg
• April 30: Middleburg Hunt PTP at Glenwood Park

The meets sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association are scheduled as:

• April 22: Middleburg Spring Races
• April 29: Foxfield Spring Races
• May 6: Virginia Gold Cup Spring Races

And finally, Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock will conduct a spring harness meet for the first
time ever. Pacers and trotters will compete from April 1 to May 14, with races every Saturday
and Sunday at 1:00 PM. Admission and parking are free for these events.

“We can hardly wait for the 2023 spring season to begin,” Wood said.

The VEA is also encouraging fans to take note of the upcoming summer racing season at
Colonial Downs in New Kent, which begins July 13 and runs through September 9 with racing
every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1:30 PM. Stay tuned for more information as the
summer season approaches.

For more information and any updates to these schedules, please visit virginiahorseracing.com.

###

About Virginia Equine Alliance
The Virginia Equine Alliance is a non-profit, 501 (c) 6 organization which is comprised of the
Virginia Harness Horse Association, the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective
Association, the Virginia Gold Cup Association, and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association.
The purpose of the Virginia Equine Alliance is to sustain, promote, and expand the horse
breeding and horse racing industries in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Alliance seeks to
establish and support new and multiple venues for horse racing in the Commonwealth and to
advocate and support legislation, regulations, and rules beneficial to the breeders and owners and trainers of horses (“horsemen”) in the state. The Alliance represents the interests of horsemen at meetings of the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Racing Commission, racing associations, breeder’s organizations, horsemen’s organizations, and other like groups. The Alliance is committed to increasing public awareness of the economic and environmental importance to the Commonwealth of the horse breeding and horse racing industries.

Knockgriffin Farm, Audley Farm Equine and Morgan’s Ford Farm were the top recipients of 2022 Virginia Breeders awards from 46 Commonwealth-based farms that shared a total of $975,000 in bonus monies. The trio earned $94,630, $94,290 and $86,846 respectively.

Knockgriffin scored 18 separate awards — most of any farm or breeder — led by Seaside Dancer’s five-pack at Golden Gate Fields and Mo Clare’s, who won the Brookmeade Stakes at Colonial Downs along with an allowance there. The awards from that pair were $19,489 and $12,473 respectively. Sendero won a $19,489 bonus via another New Kent stakes — the Jamestown for two-year-olds. Other multiple award winners bred by Knockgriffin were Smart Battle and Soupster with three each.

Audley’s 11 awards were led by Determined Kingdom’s pair — a victory in Colonial’s Punch Line Stakes and one in a Laurel allowance. Those $19,489 and $8,107 awards highlighted Audley’s ’22 portfolio. Glowcity had a trio of winning scores in Maryland — a maiden special weight and two claimers — which totaled $20,892. In addition, Jane Mast won a maiden special weight at Saratoga which produced a handsome $15,006 bonus. 

Morgan’s Ford Farm-bred horses combined for 15 wins including two each by Surya, Alex Joon, Flat Cat and Akingisalwaysking. Both of Surya’s came locally — in a maiden special weight and an allowance at Colonial. Alex Joon, whose $12,473 bonus from a Colonial allowance was tops among the 15, also scored in a claimer at Oaklawn. In addition, Morgan’s Ford Farm partnered with Godolphin and Tiznow Syndicate in other breeding ventures. Tango Charlie (two wins) and La Samana Laura (one win) earned awards respectively from those.

Rounding out the top five were breeders Althea Richards and Chance Farm. 

Richards had eight wins including four by Green Up, winner of two stakes — the Cathryn Sophia at Parx and the Boiling Spring at Monmouth. In all, the Upstart filly amassed $54,101 of Richards’s $75,467 total. Kenny Had a Notion, with two Charles Town allowance wins, chipped in nicely with over $11,000 in bonuses.

Chance Farm, with 17 wins and $56,342 in bonus award monies, was fifth best. Princess Kaira’s four wins at Parx led the way and five others chipped in with two wins apiece including Executive Chef, who captured the Auburn Stakes at Emerald Downs and a maiden special weight at Golden Gate. Red Pepper Grill prevailed in a pair of claimers at Aqueduct. Others in the two-win group include Call the Po Po, Ready and Rich and Upgrade Me.

Gigante’s two wins at Colonial Downs pushed breeder Ann Backer and Smitten Farm into sixth place among bonus earners with $47,296. The Not This Time colt bankrolled a $25,000 award by winning the TAA Kitten’s Joy Stakes and $14,032 from a maiden special weight, both in New Kent.

Lazy Lane Farm’s $46,852 in awards came from eight winners, led by Largent’s score in the Edward P. Evans Stakes at Colonial — a $19,489 bonus. Their Sing Along Suzy had a pair of claiming wins at Tampa Bay Downs.

Victories by Repo Rocks in the Let’s Give Thanks Stakes at Parx and a Belmont allowance paid off nicely for breeder Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin. The triumphs earned respective bonuses of $10,758 and $13,434.  American Dubai’s March 26 win at Oaklawn — as a 9-year-old — added to Iselin’s $31,003 final tally.

Shaaz’s two allowance win at Santa Anita as a 4-year-old produced five-digit awards for the William Backer Revocable Estate. The Uncle Mo horse triggered bonus paydays of $11,225 and $10,758 which helped trigger Backer’s total of $29,981 in rounding out the top ten.        

Chambeau’s stakes win in the M. Tyson Gilpin produced a $19,489 score for breeder Sam English II. The daughter of Karakontie followed that with an allowance win at Pimlico in September. English’s overall 2022 award totaled $29,903. 

Other ’22 notables include Boldor — bred by Carlos Moore and Gillian Gordon-Moore — who prevailed in the Meadow Stable Stakes last summer. The now 7-year-old Munnings gelding produced a $23,387 reward in winning his third career Virginia-bred stakes.

The Virginia-bred with the most bonus earning wins was Determined Love, who got his picture taken five times at Fort Erie and once at Penn National. The now 6-year-old Shackleford mare was bred by Mr. & Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin.      

Boondoggle, owned and bred by Leanne Hester, produced five wins in Maryland resulting in $16,012 in Breeders bonus monies. The 9-year-old gelding’s wins also provided Hester with over $20,000 in stallion awards. Boondoggle is a son of Gone Clubbing, who she stands. Hester had two other Stallion bonus scores with Spritzer, who was also sired by Gone Clubbing. In all, she received $37,514 in stallion awards from a $75,000 pool. 

Ruxton Farm was next with $29,933 in stallion bonuses courtesy of Fierce Wind, whose offspring won a trio of races. Tolaga Bay captured two last August at Colonial — an allowance and starter allowance — and Itsknownasthebern won a claimer at Timonium. 

Lady Olivia at North Cliff, LLC got a $5,090 check for stallion Cosa Vera, whose mare Osa won a maiden claiming race at Colonial July 20. Smallwood Farm earned $2,460 in awards from stallion Friend or Foe, whose filly Almendra R. won back-to-back claiming races at Camarero Race Track.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – February XX, 2023 – The Virginia Equine Alliance – a non-profit, 501 (c) 6 organization that sustains, promotes and expands the horse breeding and horse racing industries in Virginia – has announced Jill Byrne as its new vice president of strategic planning.

“Byrne is a wonderful fit for the role, especially with her decades of experience in the horse racing and breeding industries,” said Jeb Hannum, executive director of the VEA. “From being in the heart of it by exercising horses, to working in strategic communications roles, Byrne has a thorough understanding of the industries.”

The organization will work with Byrne’s depth of industry expertise to further advance the community’s understanding and enthusiasm for horse breeding and racing.

Byrne’s other roles throughout her career have included serving as an on-air personality for TVG, the director of broadcast and programming for Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, the director of industry relations for the Breeders Cup and, most recently, the vice president of racing operations for Colonial Downs here in Virginia.

“I like to say that my career in the industry truly began when I was much younger, growing up on the farm and working with horses, from exercising them to caring for them,” Byrne said. “I am grateful to have had both hands-on experience as well as experience in strategically promoting the industries.”

Raised in Barboursville, Virginia, Byrne grew up on a horse farm with two parents who were both accomplished equestrians. She attended a boarding school near Belmont Park racetrack, and while most students her age may have chosen to spend their weekends differently, Byrne remembers fondly spending weekends with her father at the track.

“My love for the industry began at such a young age, and it has been a part of my life ever since,” Byrne said. “Growing up in Virginia, I have a close connection and passion for the horse breeding and racing industries here.”

Byrne attended the University of Virginia, where she studied history and political science, but her passions led her back to the racetrack. She has worked with many top horses, including Favorite Trick, who eventually became the only other two-year-old horse to win the honor of Eclipse Horse of the Year, aside from the world-renowned Secretariat.

One of Byrne’s passions is thoroughbred aftercare, meaning the care given to thoroughbred racehorses after their racing career is over to ensure a meaningful life beyond the racetrack. Currently, she works with the Virginia Thoroughbred Project based in Montpelier, Virginia.

Byrne says that she is looking forward to promoting and advancing Virginia’s horse breeding and racing industries in her new role with the VEA.

To learn more about the Virginia Equine Alliance and Virginia’s horse racing and breeding industries, please visit www.virginiahorseracing.com.

###

About Virginia Equine Alliance

The Virginia Equine Alliance is a non-profit, 501 (c) 6 organization which is comprised of the Virginia Harness Horse Association, the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, the Virginia Gold Cup Association, and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association. The purpose of the Virginia Equine Alliance is to sustain, promote, and expand the horse breeding and horse racing industries in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Alliance seeks to establish and support new and multiple venues for horse racing in the Commonwealth and to advocate and support legislation, regulations, and rules beneficial to the breeders and owners and trainers of horses (“horsemen”) in the state. The Alliance represents the interests of horsemen at meetings of the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Racing Commission, racing associations, breeder’s organizations, horsemen’s organizations, and other like groups. The Alliance is committed to increasing public awareness of the economic and environmental importance to the Commonwealth of the horse breeding and horse racing industries

On January 9th, we announced changes to the bonus payout guidelines for the Virginia-Certified and Virginia-Bred owner/developer programs. As we explained in our earlier notice, these programs are funded from revenue generated by Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines which also fund other aspects of Virginia’s racing program. The Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), in consultation with the Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) and Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (VAHBPA), has established an annual budget of 4 million dollars for these programs. The plan is to increase funding for these programs once Colonial Downs adds more HHR locations and machines (we hope in 2024 and 2025). In the meantime, the changes below will help us to stay within our allocated budget.

Our previous objective was to keep bonuses as close to 25% as possible. In order to achieve that objective, we decided to end awards for wins in state-bred restricted races. Our decision of where to make cuts generated quite a response from you! Overwhelmingly it is clear that folks would rather receive a bonus for any race won, even if the award is a lesser amount. We heard you and this week the VTA Board updated the previous published changes.

UPDATED CHANGES TO THE VIRGINIA-CERTIFIED PROGRAM:

1. Certified Developer bonuses of 10% will be earned for wins in state-bred-restricted races in the Mid-Atlantic region (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, & WV). Winners of Virginia-restricted races are not eligible for any Certified bonus.
2. Certified Developer bonuses will be earned for open race wins in the Mid-Atlantic region (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WV, & VA). Open bonuses will be calculated as follows: After the 10% state-bred-restricted race bonuses are subtracted from the 4 million dollar incentive fund, the remaining incentive money will be distributed on a pro-rata share of each open winning purse divided by the total of all open win purses. We estimate the open win bonuses for 2023 and 2024 to be in the 15% to 20% range. 
3. Beginning with foals of 2023, Certified Developer bonuses will no longer be earned for any win in West Virginia.
4. Certified Developer bonuses will not be earned for out-of-state wins during the Colonial Downs meet.
5. Plans to grow the VA Restricted race program during the Colonial Downs meet are now in the works.
6. Because of the difficulty of estimating the number of wins each month, Virginia-Certified awards will now receive bonus checks once a year (after December 31st of the year they were earned).This is the only way to ensure open race bonuses are paid at the same percentage month to month.

VIRGINIA-BRED OWNER/DEVELOPER PROGRAM

1. Beginning with the foal crop of 2021 (two-year-olds of 2023), the Virginia-Bred Owner’s bonus of up to 25% earned for wins in the Mid-Atlantic region (NY, NJ, PA, DE, MD, WV) will be paid to the horse’s Developer. (The Developer is the person or entity that owns the Virginia-Bred horse when the horse makes its first start). 
2. Because of the difficulty of estimating the number of wins each month, Virginia-Bred Owner/Developer awards will now receive bonus checks once a year (after December 31st of the year they were earned).This is the only way to ensure open race bonuses are paid at the same percentage month to month.

Remember: Owners of Virginia-bred horses earn a 50% bonus when their Virginia-bred or sired horses finish 1st – 4th at Colonial Downs.

Making changes to these programs is nothing we desired to do. We are hopeful it is a short-term issue, that we can resolve sooner rather than later.

Debbie Easter, Executive Director
Virginia Thoroughbred Association

*Please note that these changes do not affect the award program for the Breeders of registered Virginia-Breds. Breeder awards are funded separately and are not affected by the Certified Program or the Virginia-Bred Owner/Developer program.

Congratulations to two longtime Virginia horse racing industry employees —- who both started working at the Colonial Downs Off Track Betting Center in Alberta in December, 1997 —- and are still working at Colonial Downs, some 25 years later! 

Paulette Coleman and Karen Henson started work the same day that December and neither could have imagined they would still be working together a quarter century later. At the time, pari-mutuel horse racing was still very new to Virginia. Off Track Betting sites first opened in 1996 in Chesapeake and Richmond then the Colonial Downs track itself opened in September, 1997. OTBs on Hampton and Alberta followed shortly after the inaugural meet in New Kent.  

Coleman worked four years in Alberta before relocating to manage Colonial’s old Richmond OTB location on Hull Street. She since has managed the former Richmond West Broad Street OTB and the Breakers Sports Grille OTB and even now, serves as Horsemen’s Bookkeeper for the summer thoroughbred meet in addition to her OTB duties. Henson spent 17 years at Alberta and after that location closed, managed the Windmill OTB in Collinsville before transferring to Breakers where she is currently based. She also works at the New Kent track during the summer races. 

“I love the customers, the excitement of horse racing, and the big days especially,” said Coleman. “I absolutely love it. It’s in my blood. I’ve enjoyed 25-plus years of making friends. Just the other day, my supervisor said that ‘you know everybody no matter where you go’. Horseplayers travel around so you see many of the same ones at the various sites.”

Henson echoed those same sentiments. “It’s the customers,” she said. “I enjoy the aspect of listening to the customers and forming relationships. We’re just like an extended family. They let us know how they are doing. We genuinely want to know that so we can provide a better experience for them. It’s also a privilege to work the live race meet and hear the horses run, which adds another layer of enjoyment for me. This is so much better than any other job I’ve ever had.”

Because pari-mutuel wagering was still new to Virginians in the late ’90’s, times were different and both ladies have fond memories of those early days in Alberta. 

“It was the best of times there,” recalled Coleman. “The place was jumping on the weekends. The betting line was full of tellers, the place was full of customers. It was just a wonderful atmosphere. Racing was new to us so we were surprised at the number of people that already knew how to bet. And then you had locals who wanted to see what it was all about and they wanted to learn how to bet.”     

After the initial version of Colonial Downs closed in 2014, Coleman and Henson went on to work elsewhere for a short period of time at Lowe’s and at a propane company respectively. But as soon as the Virginia Equine Alliance opened up a slate of OTBs in 2016, both jumped back into racing without hesitation — in Henrico and Collinsville.

“I missed it,” said Henson. “Horse racing is exciting and fun, especially when you have money in the game and you’re cheering your horse on. We have a lot of longtime players at Breakers but the fun aspect is showing new customers how to play, then watching them build on the knowledge you gave them and what they get from other customers too. It’s neat to see that transition take place.”      

“Many people think we don’t want them to win,” added Coleman. “We want them to win.  New customers especially think it’s like a casino where they play against the house. We want them to win and bring two or three people back the next time, and have those people bring another two or three back on their next visit to have fun. When you see excitement in their faces from winning, we get excited too. We’re rooting for them. We’ll yell right with them — “come on five, come on five!”

Kentucky Derby prep race season is in full swing now and most every weekend thru mid-April features key stakes races for three-year-old horses, all of whom are battling to secure a spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate on Saturday May 6. Fans can wager the action at either of the two VA-Horseplay OTBs — in Henrico at Breakers Sports Grille (9127 West Broad St) and in Chesapeake at Buckets Bar and Grill (228 North Battlefield Blvd). The six Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums also feature a simulcast area to watch and wager races from up to 20 different tracks daily. Online betting is also available via Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com and NYRAbets.com.    

The following appeared on richmond.com December 27, 2022 and was written by Jerry Lindquist.

Virginia has never been considered a major player in the world of Thoroughbred horse racing, but recent developments have thrust it into the national spotlight.

Famed operator Churchill Downs finalized its purchase of Colonial Downs earlier this year, and did not waste any time making good on its promise to deliver high-stakes racing to the commonwealth.

The company is moving two of its Grade 1 stakes races, the highest rating given by the sport’s sanctioning body, to the New Kent track for the 2023 season.

The Arlington Million, Beverly D. Stakes and Secretariat Stakes (a Grade 2 race) will be held August 12 at Colonial Downs in a one-day extravaganza of racing that Churchill’s executive director of racing, Gary Palmisano, thinks will be worthy of national network television – possibly on NBC.

The move didn’t come without controversy. The Arlington race was moved from the company’s now-shuttered track in suburban Chicago, and the Kentucky-to-Virginia move is a major switch within the industry.

The American Graded Stakes Committee, entrusted with regulating designations, met Churchill’s request to move the races after what was described as one of the most contentious discussions since the 11-member group was formed 49 years ago. In the end, industry publication Horse Racing Nation reported that the vote in favor was 6-to-5.

It’s another switch, though, that made waves locally.

The track is switching from its Monday-through-Wednesday racing formula – which produced record wagering – to Thursday-through-Saturday for the 2023 meet, which will run from July 13 to September 9. (Post time will be 1:30 p.m.)

“We could have hit the easy button and ran Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays … like every person we talked to has told us to do. Folks think we are crazy,” Palmisano said at a recent Virginia Racing Commission meeting. “We understand the challenge … and ask for a year to navigate through the process, make this the best we can make it, then re-assess.”

The Commission expressed concern during its Dec. 14th gathering that the new times would go head-to-head with the more prestigious races being run at Saratoga.

While Churchill’s vice-president for gaming operations, Jack Sours, acknowledged it was a gamble, he said the goal was to attract larger in-person attendance. To accomplish that meant Fridays and Saturdays and, down the road, Sundays – with twilight racing as well.

In 2022, Colonial’s average live attendance for 26 days (one day was lost to hot weather) was about 1,700 … which accounted for only 10 percent of the betting handle.

In 2011, the Virginia Derby drew a reported 10,100 for the event’s first night race. More than 5,000 were on hand for this year’s Derby when the 11-race card generated a track-record handle of $6.5 million, surpassing last year’s former standard of $4.8 million.

At the VRC meeting held at Colonial, Frank Petramalo, the longtime executive director of the Virginia horsemen’s association, questioned the change, noting Colonial used the Thursday-through-Saturday format for one year after the track re-opened in 2019 … and betting had more than doubled since then.

He noted the average off-track handle went from approximately $1.1 million daily (2019) to $2.2M (2021) and $2.8M (2022), both track records.

In addition, Petramalo questioned Churchill’s expectations of significantly increasing live attendance at Colonial Downs. And, neither did he buy their argument that Saratoga, which will have a 1:05 post time, seldom started on time and therefore Colonial Downs should not be hurt badly by betting on races at the iconic track in upstate New York.

“Let’s not kid ourselves … in this digital age … most racing is watched on TV and the internet … and that’s reflected by the people who are wagering. It’s nice to have fans at the track, but let’s be realistic. If a [bettor] has a choice between watching a card at Saratoga or Colonial Downs … I’m sorry … but it’s going to be Saratoga,” said Petramalo, who indicated the horsemen would favor Sunday-through-Tuesday here instead. “It’s crazy to give up our Mondays and Tuesdays. We’ve established ourselves. We’re beating everyone else in the market. Let’s look at the data … not go on wishful thinking.”

The commission heard Petramalo but didn’t listen, voting 5-0 to approve Churchill’s plan for the coming year.

Details haven’t been announced – like purse structure – but the Arlington and Beverly D. will be the first top-level Thoroughbred races held at Colonial, although it’s doubtful either will pay more than the $1 million that first Colonial owner Jeff Jacobs handed out for the Virginia Derby in 2006 and 2007.

That was part of his ill-fated, thee-year “Grand Slam of Grass,” a four-race affair that included the Secretariat Stakes. It also marked the Virginia Derby’s first of 11 Grade 2 runnings at Colonial Downs. Now Grade 3, the 2023 Virginia Derby will close the meet on Sept. 9.

Palmisano said daily purses would remain at $600,000 or more, which naturally pleased Petramalo, even though he wondered how that record-track amount under the former owners could be maintained by switching dates.

“I know we’re diving into the deep end,” Palmisano said. “But we’re going to make it happen.”

Colonial Downs race dates for 2023 were approved at the Virginia Racing Commission’s December 14 meeting, and the 27-day, 9-week meet features a move to partial weekend racing after several years of operating on a Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday afternoon schedule.

The summer campaign will run from July 13 – September 9 with racing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1:30 PM. The 20^th running of the $300,000 Grade 3 Virginia Derby is scheduled for closing day, Saturday September 9. A request has also been made to the American Graded Stakes Committee, as of press time, to consider running a pair of Grade 1 stakes, the Arlington Million and Beverly D, along with the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes, at Colonial on Saturday August 12. The 2023 live race meet will be the first at Colonial Downs under the operation of new owners, Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI”).

“There were many considerations taken into account to arrive with this schedule,” said Jack Sours, VP of Gaming for CDI. “The long-term goal of Churchill Downs is to offer racing on weekends. That is our goal to be clear. We feel racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday is a good first step toward that. This will allow more fans to enjoy racing in New Kent and will allow us to run the Virginia Derby on a Saturday.”

The 2021 and 2022 Virginia Derbies were both held on a Tuesday. The ’22 edition attracted an all-time record handle of $6.5 million. The overall ’22 meet itself offered $612,000 in average daily purses, had 8.35 starters per race and saw 1,382 horses from 321 trainers compete in the 9-week session. Approximately 40,000 fans attended the races on track.        

“Another consideration in this process was finding a consistency in the post times. As we enter into this more competitive schedule, we need fans to be able to find our signal easily. Saratoga normally starts at 1:05 PM or a little bit after, so we can start after their first race and continue in that manner through the afternoon. Another key consideration was the ship-ins. We have a lot of horses that ship from Maryland and other areas so by having consistent matinee post times, it will be easier for them to plan and then get back home at a reasonable hour.”

From a fan standpoint, the new management team will face some hurdles. 

“Moving to new days and times will require a lot of human resources,” added Sours. “We have to staff the place to accommodate large Saturday crowds and we know that’s not going to be an easy challenge. We’re all aware of staffing issues these days but we’re committed to overcome that challenge. There’s also the logistic piece as to how this will all flow,” he continued. “We want to get our feet on the ground with this new schedule, then can always come back with further adjustments. The final consideration is the opportunity to host corporate outings on Thursdays and Fridays. We have found success with that piece at our other properties. It will give us a chance to expose racing to a new audience and drive attendance.”  

Sours said HHR handle is on pace for $3.9 billion this year, a 25% increase over the prior year. He expects that Colonial will add more Historical Horse Racing (HHR) terminals in 2023 which could result in additional race dates come 2024. There are currently 2,606 machines in operation between six Rosie’s Gaming Emporium sites. He projects that two more could come on board as early as September next year. The Rosie’s in Emporia will have 150 and the first phase of “The Rose” gaming resort in Dumfries is expected to open with 1,150 terminals. 

“More HHR means more race dates,” said Sours. This will allow us to add more dates and possibly race over the entire weekend instead of just Saturdays. We may even explore evening racing in the future but we need to understand the entire operation first before we can even think about that. That’s something we’ll have to work towards.”

Gary Palmisano, CDI’s Executive Director of Racing, spoke at the meeting and addressed the strong safety record of Colonial’s turf and dirt surfaces. “It’s a very well kept track and we want to continue to maintain what already is in place,” he said. “The track crew that has been on board — that includes Harrison Young, Ken Brown and James Jackson — will not change.”

Palmisano noted the 50^th anniversary of Secretariat’s Triple Crown run will be an important element of Colonial’s promotional focus in 2023 especially if the Secretariat Stakes is held in New Kent along with the other two Grade 1 stakes. 

“It will take some doing, but if we are able to get those three historically important stakes here on August 12th, our vision is to make that one of the biggest days in Virginia horse racing history with thousands of people on hand. There isn’t a Grade I stakes in this area after Preakness Day.”

Another key Saturday event will be the annual Virginia-Bred Stakes Day along with others in the planning stage. “We’re talking to a lot of people about promotions that can bring people in. Our goal is to make every Saturday a really big event day.” 

Work has begun in earnest to make the 2023 meet under CDI’s leadership a success. “Folks think we’re crazy for taking on this schedule,” said Poliseno. “We could have hit the easy button and continued to run on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday like everyone told us to do. We just want to have one year to navigate this new schedule and see how it goes.”   

Updates in the coming days will be available at virginiahorseracing.com and vabred.org. `