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.
Red Knight wins the 1 1/2 miles ago (Coady Photography).
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 gets a well-deserved shower after his Cup victory.
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.
Horacio Karamanos, Colonial’s all-time leading rider, is pictured with the Colonial Cup trophy.
(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.
Meet Aslyn with Officer Donovan, Banjo with Officer Acuff and Toby with Officer O’Connell.
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.
Banjo enjoys open space at the Tuckahoe Plantation.
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.”
Toby is reserved for the Sergeant when he is on duty.
“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.
Toby with a head on view.
“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 three active mounted squad members on display between grazing opportunities.
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.
George Gregory and Gary Williams pose with Blue Bonnie in the Colonial backstretch on July 7. Alexa Welch Edlund photo.
“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.”
Gary Williams, Heather Goodwin and George Gregory in the Colonial Downs winners on opening day, 1997. Nick Hahn photo.
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.
Times Dispatch reporter Wayne Epps interviews Williams and Gregory.
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.”
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.
George Gregory has been a fixture in the Colonial Downs barn area since 1997.
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.”
(NEW KENT, VA — 7/7/2022) — Reiley McDonald’s Passion Play and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Twin Creeks Racing Stables’ Largent — respective winners of the 2021 and 2020 Edward P. Evans Stakes for Virginia-Bred/Sired horses — will face each other in the ’22 edition Monday July 11 when Colonial Downs presented by Woodford Reserve kicks off its 9-week “More Racing, More Money” meet.
Passion Play (inside) captures the 2021 Edward P. Evans Stakes at Colonial Downs (Coady Photography)
The Evans is one of four $125,000 turf stakes on the program which also includes the Punch Line, Brookmeade and the M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes. First post is 1:45 PM. Eight of the nine flat races will be contested over the Secretariat Turf Course, widest grass racing surface in the country at 180-feet across. The pari-mutuel card will be preceded by two non-betting steeplechase races at 12:15 and 12:50 PM. Parking and general admission are free and the first 1,000 fans will receive a free Secretariat T-Shirt.
Both Passion Play and Largent followed similar paths in their respective Evans victories. Passion Play won the Bert Allen Stakes in 2021 and Largent prevailed in 2020.
Largent in the winners circle after his Bert Allen Stakes victory in October 2020. Photo by Jim McCue.
Passion Play, second early choice at 3-1, is a perfect 3-for-3 at Colonial. The 6-year-old Hold Me Back gelding pocketed $150,000 of his $257,946 career bankroll from the trio. Horacio Karamanos, who rode both stakes victories last summer, will be up Monday for trainer Mary Eppler.
The consistent Largent, even money betting choice, has six wins and four seconds from only 13 starts and earnings of $504,320. The 6-year-old Into Mischief horse won the Grade 2 Fort Lauderdale Stakes at Gulfstream in 2020 then came up a neck shy in the $1 million Grade I Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, also at Gulfstream, in January, 2021.
Ed Orr and Susie Orr’s Boldor, winner of the 2019 and 2021 Punch Line Stakes, will square off against 2020 winner, Larry Johnson and Bruce Quade’s Embolden, in the 2022 Punch Line at 5 1/2 furlongs.
Boldor won the Punch Line at Colonial in 2019. (Coady Photography)
Boldor is 9-5 early and will be ridden by Feargal Lynch, who was a board for trainer Steve Asmussen in both prior Punch Line wins. The 6-year-old Munnings gelding has $447,096 in earnings from 26 career starts.
Embolden’s Punch Line victory two years ago came at Laurel after Colonial’s season got cut short. The 5-year-old The Factor horse also captured the 2019 Jamestown Stakes and enters the race with a bankroll of $303,107. The Michael Trombetta trainee is the third early favorite at 4-1, will be ridden by Victor Carrasco.
2021 Punch Line runner-up Elusive Mischief, owned by Lothenbach Stables, is second choice at 3-1. The 7-year-old Into Mischief gelding, with $239,398 in earnings, finished second to Boldor in the 2019 edition as well.
Winchester Place Thoroughbreds’ Urban Fairytale, 2021 Brookmeade Stakes champ, returns to defend her title against six other fillies and mares at 1 1/16th miles. The Ian Wilkes trainee will be ridden by regular jockey Chris Landeros who was atop for last summer’s victory in New Kent. The 5-year-old Distorted Humor mare is the early 9-5 choice and has $140,618 in turf earnings, second only to Susan Cooney’s Fionnbharr’s with $144,857.
Urban Fairytale was best in the 2021 Brookmeade Stakes in New Kent (Coady Photography)
Fionnbharr was stakes placed three different times last summer during the 7-week meet. The 6-year-old Exchange Rate mare was second in the Nellie Mae Cox and third in the Van Clief and Brookmeade Stakes.
Larry Johnson’s Continentalcongres, runner up in the 2021 Jamestown, has been very consistent in 2022. The 3-year-old Constitution filly has finished in the “top three” in six of seven starts including a maiden special weight score at Laurel in April. The second early choice at 3-1 will be ridden by Jaime Rodriguez. A field of seven will go to post in the $125,000 M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes including Morgan’s Ford Farms’ Strands Of Pearls, who is trained by Brittany Russell and will be ridden by her husband Sheldon — a former Colonial Downs leading jockey who recently returned to action after a ten-month layoff due to injury. The 3-year-old Super Saver filly has won back-to-back races.
Top money earning horse in the field is Nicholas Cammarano’s Still Alive with a bankroll of $167,942 and fresh off a 6-furlong claiming win at Parx. The 5-year-old Midshipman mare was bred by Daybreak Stables.
Sam English’s Chambeau is a 5-year-old daughter of Japan-bred Karakontie and will be making her career bow with Colonial’s all-time leading rider Horacio Karamanos in the irons. Anthony Aguirre, Jr. trains the mare, who is coming off three solid works.
A pair of $70,000 allowance races, one dirt and one turf, highlight opening day’s under card.
The 1 1/16th miles grass race features a field of ten fillies and mares, led by Heider Family Stables’ Flown, a Brendan Walsh trainee that has a win and four seconds in five turf outings. The 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy filly is the 8-5 morning line favorite and will have Feargall Lynch in the irons.
Ham Smith, Colonial Downs 2021 leading trainer, is pictured with Racing Secretary Allison DeLuca.
Noteable conditioners with horses in the turf allowance include 2021 leading trainer Hamilton Smith (Witty Banter), 2019 leading trainer Michael Stidham (Pearl Earring) and Colonial’s all-time leading trainer Ferris Allen (Nicolar).
Big E Stables’ Sacred Samurai is 3-1 choice in the 7-furlong Optional Allowance/Claimer that features a deep 11-horse field. The 3-year-old First Samurai colt dominated a $100,000 maiden special weight at Keeneland April 29, winning by 5 1/2 lengths. Jevian Toldeo will ride for trainer Joe Sharp.
Colonial’s 2022 meet will continue thru September 7 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:45 PM. The track will feature a daily Pick-5 wager on the final five races with a low 12% takeout. The bet will offer a carryover aspect for the first time ever. All races will be broadcast on TVG.
Showcase event of a $3.5 million stakes schedule is the 19th running of the $300,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby (Gr. 3) on Tuesday September 6. The Derby under card features five additional stakes including the $200,000 Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks.
The following appeared in The Paulick Report July 4. Green Up was bred by Althea Richards and is now an impressive 3-for-3 this year with $118,200 in earnings!
With Paco Lopez riding the lone speed horse in a short field the outcome is fairly predictable.
That was the case in Sunday’s $100,000 Boiling Springs Stakes at Monmouth Park, when Team Valor International’s Green Up was able to coast on the front end through soft fractions and then spurted away when asked for a 5¾-length victory.
Sent off as the 3-2 second choice in the four-horse field, Green Up was able to easily rebuff any challenge from 2-5 favorite Radio Days because of the easy fractions in the one-mile and 70-yard feature.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, Green Up earned a free entry and startinng fees to the Monmouth Oaks (G3) on July 31 as a result of the victory. It marked the first stakes win in the four-race career for the 3-year-old Virginia-bred daughter of Upstart out of Green Punch, by Two Punch.
“My thought was just to go to the lead since she looked like the only speed in the race,” said Lopez, seeking his ninth Monmouth Park riding title. “Todd Pletcher told me to do whatever I felt comfortable doing. She jumped a little at the break and didn’t break well but I was able to get to the rail and make the lead pretty easily.
“I saw Joe Bravo (aboard Radio Days) pressing us at the three-eighths but my filly had too much left. She was very strong after we were able to get away with a slow opening half and she just took off when (Radio Days) came to us.”
Despite an awkward start, Green Up was able to make the lead without a challenge, with Lopez putting her on the rail. She carved out fractions of :24.77, :49.26, and 1:12.53 for six furlongs and was well in hand despite a compact field and mild pressure. The mile went in 1:37.79.
Green Up’s winning time was 1:40.93 on a fast track. She returned $5.
“She just shipped in this morning from Saratoga,” said Anthony Sciametta, who oversees Pletcher’s division at Monmouth Park. “That’s where she has been working. Todd said when they scratched out a couple of horses if Paco Lopez wants the lead he should take it because there’s no other speed in the race.
“She broke badly, seemed to stumble a little, but she still made the lead easily. She’s a nice filly. Even if the field had stayed intact she would have been very tough to beat. Todd will make the decision on whether she goes to the Monmouth Oaks or not.”
Radio Days finished three lengths ahead of Capotainsdaughter in third.
Since being moved to the Pletcher barn (from Chris Melton) after finishing second in her career debut at Gulfstream Park on May 13, 2021, Green Up has won all three subsequent starts by a combined 16½ lengths, including a 6 3/4-length wire-to-wire romp in March at the Hallandale Beach, Florida, track to break her maiden. Stepping up to allowance/optional claiming company there, she won by four lengths April 21.
“Both of her Florida (wins) were impressive,” said Sciametta. “I’m sure Todd will look at the Monmouth Oaks, but he is the one who will make the decision.”
The following was written Mary Eddy of NYRA and appeared in The Paulick Report.
Eddie F’s Racing’s Dream Central broke her maiden and scored her first stakes win for trainer Gary Sciacca in Sunday’s $150,000 Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series for eligible state-sired sophomore fillies sprinting seven furlongs on the Widener turf at Belmont Park.
The bay Central Banker filly arrived at the Cupecoy’s Joy from an even seventh-place effort in a maiden special weight over the same distance and course on May 30 where she was bumped at the start and forced seven-wide in the turn. After making her first two starts on dirt, she finished third in her second try on the lawn on April 29 sprinting six furlongs.
“I knew she was a decent filly. She was training well,” said Eddie Fazzone, owner of Eddie F’s Racing. “We tried her on the dirt when she first came up, and she hated the dirt. She was doing really well when we brought her back. The maiden race last time, she wasn’t paying attention. She was looking around. The first time on the turf this year she ran a nice third, so we knew she’d love the grass. Seven furlongs I thought would be her best distance, too. I saw the race and said, ‘This is the race right here.’ ”
Sent from post 2 at odds of 39-1, longest odds in the field of 11, Dream Central was allowed to stalk the pace in sixth under patient handling from Jose Lezcano as Royal Dancer and Shinfull vied for the lead through an opening quarter-mile in :22.36 over the firm turf.
Royal Dancer gained the advantage over a retreating Shinfull entering the turn through a half-mile in :45.50 as the Manny Franco-piloted Robyn and Eli swung to an outside path from six lengths back in eighth to begin her run at the leader.
Lezcano got to work aboard Dream Central as Royal Dancer confidently extended her margin to two lengths at the stretch call. Robyn and Eli quickly closed the gap with a strong run down the center of the track as Dream Central found her best stride nearing the sixteenth pole.
Lezcano guided Dream Central between Robyn and Eli and a tiring Royal Dancer to find the wire just in time and stun the field of 11 by a neck in a final time of 1:21.57.
Robyn and Eli secured place honors a half-length ahead of Royal Dancer, who rounded out the trifecta 2 1/4 lengths the better of Howdyoumakeurmoney.
Shigeko, Silken Dollar, Morning Matcha, Galaxina, Shinfull, Liberty Flame and Half Birthday completed the order of finish. Bank On Anna, who was entered for the main track only, was scratched. Shigeko was pulled up after the wire and vanned off.
Lezcano said he had plenty of horse under him even when Franco made the first move at the pacesetter with Robyn and Eli.
“My filly didn’t get out when I needed and then the other horse tried to hold me over there. He [Franco] did his job,” said Lezcano. “But my filly, when I asked her, she really responded and finished the job. She picked it up real good and the other horse was fighting back at the same time.”
Franco said Robyn and Eli gave her best effort.
“My filly ran great. We just got beat,” said Franco. “I tried to do the best I could to take his momentum, but I knew he had horse. I moved and got the jump, but he had horse – he beat me.”
Sciacca, who has seen stakes success with Eddie F’s Racing’s Chowda and Lobsta, credited Fazzone with the idea to run Dream Central in the Cupecoy’s Joy.
“Eddie really wanted to run here,” Sciacca said. “Two months ago, he picked this spot out. He wanted to run here no matter what. We had a couple of bad breaks with her. A couple of times, things didn’t go right. But she got it all together today.”
Fazzone said the Cupecoy’s Joy was on his radar because of the New York-bred and New York-sired programs.
“I love it. It’s great,” Fazzone said. “When I buy the babies, I do the Virginia certified with the New York-bred. It’s the best racing going, the horses are great. The sire stakes here are nice.”
Bred in New York by Fedwell Farms, Dream Central returned $81.50 and earned $82,500 for her winning effort. Her record now stands at 1-0-1 from seven starts and purse earnings of $95,917. Her dam is the Deputy Wild Cat mare Dreamed to Dream.
The 2022 thoroughbred racing season at Colonial Downs presented by Woodford Reserve is just around the corner and preparations are underway to make the “More Racing, More Money” 9-week meet in New Kent the best ever.
An average of $625,000 in purse money — a record amount — will be distributed daily. A $3.5 million stakes schedule is highlighted by the 19th running of the Grade 3, $300,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby on September 6. Owner and trainer bonus incentives are a big highlight of the meet too. Owners will receive the greater of $1,000 or their share of purse money from each race while trainers will receive $300 per horse started.
The season runs from July 11 – September 7 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:45 PM. Two non-betting steeplechase races will be held every Monday at 12:30 PM before the pari-mutuel card begins.
Owners of Virginia-Bred and Virginia-Sired horses will earn a 50% bonus on 1st to 4th place finishes in all open races. Developers of Virginia-Certified horses will earn 25% more for wins in open races and Breeders of Virginia-bred horses will earn awards for all wins at Colonial, in addition to any win in North America.
Opening day features four $125,000 stakes for Virginia-Bred/Sired horses — the Edward P. Evans, Punch Line, M. Tyson Gilpin and Brookmeade — while closing day provides a perfect bookend to the campaign with four $150,000 stakes for Virginia-restricted horses — the Meadow Stable, Camptown, Bert Allen and Nellie Mae Cox — along with the $125,000 Jamestown Stakes for 2-year-old Virginia-bred/sired freshmen.
Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) members can enjoy action every day in the VTA’s Hospitality Sky Suite on the 4th floor (except Derby Day). On race days, VTA members can simply take an elevator to the 4th floor level and present member credentials to receive access to the suite. Light appetizers and beverages will be served, along with the best view in the house.
Three special event day celebrations will be held as well during the meet. The VTA/VAHBPA Opening Day Picnic will be held in the trackside General Admission Tent from 12:30 – 3:30 PM on July 11. A complimentary lunch will be served. A similar closing day luncheon will be held on September 7 — Virginia-Restricted Stakes Day — with a location still to be determined. Finally, a special Legislators Day event will take place on Virginia Derby Day. A $50 admission ticket will provide attendees access to the 4th floor level and a lunch on the track’s biggest day of the season. More details are available at vabred.org.
Stalls are currently being allocated and indications are that all 840 spaces in the barn area will be filled. New stables from Illinois include Larry Rivelli’s (80 horses), Chris Block’s (30 horses) along with outfits from trainers Tony Mitchell and Joel Campbell. Some of the top returning conditioners include Michelle Lovell, Michael Stidham, Phil Schoenthal, Mike Tomlinson and Susan Cooney among others.
Hamilton Smith was leading trainer at the 2021 Colonial Downs meet.
Colonial Downs and the Virginia HBPA will partner in an initiative to support the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA). Since 2019, both parties have pledged $15 per start at the Colonial meet to benefit TAA. A $50,000 check was presented to the TAA between races last September.
“Colonial Downs is once again proud to support the TAA throughout our 2022 racing season,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial’s VP of Racing Operations. “The care of horses during and after their racing careers is of the upmost importance, and the work the TAA does to ensure that this is accomplished, is extraordinary. We are delighted to have the TAA back at Colonial Downs for Virginia Derby Day.”
Training on the main track will be available every day but Thursday and turf training will be available on Wednesdays. A condition book is online at colonialdowns.com/horsemen.
Fans will again enjoy free parking and free admission every day. Five different giveaway days are scheduled including a Secretariat T-Shirt on opening day and a camouflage hat on MATCH Series Day, August 16. And for the first time in 21 years, Colonial Downs will race on Labor Day afternoon, giving families a chance to enjoy summer’s last holiday in an affordable and fun atmosphere.
For bettors, Colonial will lower the takeout rate on its 50-cent Pick 5 wager to just 12% and the bet will offer a carryover provision for the first time. On days when nobody picks all 5 winners, 25% of the net pool will be paid to those who correctly select the most winners while the remaining 75% will be carried over to the following day’s program. Also new this year is a Monday Mid-Atlantic Pick-4 wager during the month of August that will feature two races each at both Colonial and Monmouth.
The following appeared at TheRacingBiz.com and was written by Nick Hahn.
Churchill Downs, Inc., the host of the first leg of the Triple Crown, collected their first jewel of the approvals it needs to take ownership of Colonial Downs at the June 8 Virginia Racing Commission meeting.
The Commission voted unanimously to approve the proposed Acquisition of Ownership Interest in Colonial, along with other associated properties, from Colonial parent Peninsula Pacific Entertainment to Churchill. The deal remains on schedule to close by the end of the year. Approvals in New York and Iowa are pending.
VRC Vice-Chairman Stuart Siegel presents a proclamation to outgoing VRC Chairman J. Sargeant Reynolds, Jr. at the June 8 VRC meeting.
“This will significantly expand the Churchill’s geographic diversity providing historical racing and entertainment,” Lou Frascogna, Churchill Downs Senior Counsel announced.
Churchill Downs, which operates 3,000 historical horse racing (HHR) terminals in Kentucky, will add 2687 terminals in Virginia under the sale. Under Virginia law, the total number of terminals can rise to 5200 proportionate to potentially 52 days of live racing.
“A whole lot of very promising information comes forth, which we’re encouraged by,” said Stuart Siegel, the VRC vice-chair who led the meeting. “The idea of bringing prep races here and getting more horses from Kentucky, elsewhere, Maryland, Pennsylvania, wherever they may come from, that’s exciting for us.”
Siegel also praised the feature that increases races days along with HHR machines.
“Rather than seeing expense cuts here at the racetrack, we’re looking forward to additional investment in this facility and race days so we can attract the larger crowds and a growing handle,” he said, while also hinting at his preference of shifting race days and post times in future years to enhance live attendance.
Mike Zeigler, Churchill’s Senior Vice-President and General Manager, sought to ease earlier concerns of some Commissioners. Churchill owned and just last year closed Arlington Park near Chicago. It also owned the now-shuttered Calder Race Course in Florida.
Commissioner Reynolds served 12 years on the Virginia Racing Commission.
“Churchill’s properties are active stewards in their community, not just focused to Louisville,” said Zeigler. “If you look to each one of these properties, they are important parts of their community, [and] their team members are actively engaged.”
Jill Byrne, Vice-President of Racing Operations at Colonial Downs, worked for Churchill Downs earlier her career and with the completion of the sale would work for them once again. Charged with managing the upcoming meet, Byrne updated commissioners on the preparations. The backstretch opens June 27, with the first day of live racing set for July July 11.
Being one of the first meets to start after new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) regulations go into effect, Byrne described the registration process as easy and said that outreach to arriving horsemen has been well underway.
Byrne added that the Colonial will be compliant with its “Project 21,” which raised the age of access to HHR machines from 18 to 21. The new state law that goes into effect July 1, only applies to portions of the facilities where HHR machines are offered.
Byrne reported on additional improvements to the racing surfaces, including the replacement outdated irrigation and expenditures of more than $250,000 since December for the turf course alone.
“All of these are important in how we maintain our track surfaces from the turf course to our mile-and-a-quarter dirt track,” said Byrne who also added a new water truck and tractor to the Colonial fleet.
One challenge to the upcoming meet – one common to businesses everywhere – is staffing, particularly for starters and outriders. The 27-day meet that historically draws large fields offers a minimum of $625,000 a day in purses and spans nine weeks, two weeks longer than in 2021.
“Don’t be surprised if you see me on a tractor out there,” joked Byrne.
Former chairman J. Sargeant Reynolds, on the commission during the closure and reopening of Colonial Downs during his 12-year service, was recognized with a special presentation nearing the conclusion of the meeting. A new chairman was not selected.
