The 2024 horse racing season in Virginia is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever! Daylight hours are getting more abundant little by little so it’s time to think spring — and beyond. This year, there will be 73 racing performances — 32 days of harness racing, 27 days of thoroughbred racing, 7 NSA sanctioned steeplechase meets and 7 Point-to-Point meets. It’s time to mark your calendars!

Saturday March 2 – Rappahannock Hunt Point-to-Point at The Hill in Boston, VA (rain date is Saturday March 9).

Saturday March 16 – Warrenton Hunt Point-to-Point at the Airlie Race Course in Warrenton. 

Saturday March 23 – Piedmont Fox Hounds Point-to-Point at the Salem Course in Upperville.   

Saturday March 30 – Blue Ridge Hunt Point-to-Point at the Woodley Farm in Berryville. 

Saturday April 6 – Shenandoah Downs Spring Harness Racing Season in Woodstock kicks off. The 7-week “Harness the Mountain Magic” meet continues every Saturday & Sunday at 1:05 PM thru May 19.

Saturday April 6 – Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point at the Ben Venue Farm in Ben Venue, VA. They will have 5 sanctioned steeplechase races on the card! 

Saturday April 20 – Middleburg Spring Races at Glenwood Park. A first rite of spring, this is Virginia’s the oldest steeplechase event, and the first of three sanctioned spring jump meets.

Sunday April 21 – Loudoun Hunt Point-to-Point at Morven Park in Leesburg. 

Saturday April 27 – Foxfield Spring Races in Charlottesville. Steeplechase races have taken place here since 1977 and in 2024, look for an enhanced race/purse schedule.    

Sunday April 28 – Middleburg Hunt Point-to-Point at Glenwood Park in Middleburg. This is the final PTP of the spring. 

Saturday May 4 – Virginia Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow in The Plains. Wager the prestigious Gold Cup, David Semmes Memorial and other steeplechase races all afternoon followed by the Kentucky Derby simulcast. 

Saturday May 4 – Kentucky Derby Day festivities at Shenandoah Downs. Enjoy live harness action followed by the Kentucky Derby simulcast on the infield jumbotron.

Saturday May 4 – Kentucky Derby Simulcast. Wager the “Run for the Roses” at any Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, VA-Horseplay OTB or online at Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com and NYRABets.com

Saturday May 18 – Preakness Day festivities at Shenandoah Downs. Enjoy live harness action followed by the Preakness simulcast on the infield jumbotron. 

Saturday May 18 – Preakness Day Simulcast. Wager the Triple Crown’s 2^nd leg at any Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, VA-Horseplay OTB or online at Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com and NYRABets.com 

Saturday June 8 – Belmont Day Simulcast. Wager the Triple Crown’s final leg at any Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, VA-Horseplay OTB or online at Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com and NYRABets.com 

Thursday July 11 – Colonial Downs Thoroughbred Racing Season in New Kent kicks off! The 9-week season will continue every Thursday, Friday & Saturday thru September 7.

Saturday August 10 – Colonial Downs’ “Festival of Racing” Day, featuring the Grade 1 Arlington Million, Grade 2 Beverly D and Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes.

Wednesday August 28 – Shenandoah County Fair Harness Race Meet in Woodstock kicks off at 12 Noon and continues daily thru Saturday August 31.

Saturday September 7 – Virginia Derby Day at Colonial Downs featuring racing’s top 3-year-old turf horses and the sport’s top trainers and jockeys. 

Saturday September 14 – Shenandoah Downs Fall Harness Racing Season in Woodstock kicks off. The 7-week “Harness the Mountain Magic” meet continues every Saturday & Sunday at 1:05 PM thru October 27.

Sunday October 6 – Foxfield Fall Races in Charlottesville – a family-themed day of steeplechase racing.   

Saturday October 12 – Middleburg Fall Races at Glenwood Park in Middleburg.

Saturday October 26 – International Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow in The Plains.

Sunday October 27 – Virginia Breeder’s Harness Championships at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock featuring 8 title matches and over $650,000 in purse money on the line.

Saturday November 2 – Montpelier Hunt Races at James Madison’s homestead in Montpelier Station. This is the final NSA sanctioned steeplechase meet of the year.     

The following appeared in The Racing Biz January 5th and was written by Frank Vespe.

A pair of reports commissioned by the Maryland Thoroughbred Racetrack Operating Authority released Jan. 5 outline a very different future for Maryland racing. How precisely to get to that future? That’s a bit less clear.

That future portends a consolidation of racing operations at a rebuilt Pimlico Race Course, the creation of a training center to accommodate additional horses, and the replacement of the current private, for-profit ownership structure with a state-owned, non-profit-managed arrangement.

Governor Wes Moore announced Friday morning that the state of Maryland and the Stronach Group, the parent company of the Maryland Jockey Club, had “reached the framework of an agreement in principle” to implement the projects, he said in a statement. Under the agreement, the Stronach Group would turn Pimlico over to the state, retain the right to develop the Laurel property, and maintain ownership of the Preakness itself, while leasing the rights to it to the new track operators.

The cost of leasing the Preakness is unknown. Control of day-to-day racing would transfer as of January 1, 2025.

The two reports were completed by a consultant team led by Crossroads Consulting and Populous. They were mandated by the legislation that created the Authority during the Maryland General Assembly’s 2023 session and synthesized by the Authority into a single report.

The facilities report outlines two potential Pimlico options and identifies three possible training center sites. The price tag for the new Maryland racing facilities is projected to reach approximately $400 million, with the Pimlico renovations projected to cost between $275 million and $285 million.

The rebuilding of Pimlico is expected to take three years, and during that time, the Preakness would be run at Laurel Park.

The facilities report outlines two options for Pimlico. Both would involve demolishing virtually every structure on the grounds and rebuilding from scratch. While one option would keep the racetrack in its current configuration, the other, which the report says “is the most efficient use of the available land while also resolving some of the key challenges of the Option 1 concept,” envisions rotating the track to allow for the creation of a grand entrance to the facility, better arrangement of structures on the grounds, and slightly more developable land.

The new Pimlico would be able to host approximately 71,000 people for the Preakness, including 16,200 in its new, 137,000 square foot clubhouse. The grounds would also house 560 stalls and two tracks, a turf course and a dirt course, with the latter to be “synthetic ready,” that is, ready to be quickly converted to a synthetic surface in the future.

Also on the grounds will be both surface parking and a parking garage, a hotel, and a veterinary center.

The report flags three potential training centers as its top choices. Those are the old Bowie Race Course site, the Rooney family’s Shamrock Farm in Woodbine, and Mitchell Farm Training Center in Aberdeen. All, according to the report, are within an hour of Pimlico and have a minimum of 85 acres available, which would allow stabling for 600+ horses.

While the future of Pimlico and the Preakness have largely taken center stage in the public mind, in some ways the operating model may be a more critical component.

“It is possible to have a financially viable operating model in Maryland, but thoughtful and strategic changes are needed,” the Crossroads-led report notes. “Revenues from all-sources wagering may not be adequate to enable a for-profit operator to run a sufficient number of race days and also make the necessary capital improvements.”

What then?

“Implementing a public ownership structure for the tracks which recognizes a substantial need for a public investment with the involvement of industry participants to leverage otherwise strong economic foundations is recommended for consideration,” the report suggests. “Further, it is recommended that consideration be given to leasing the tracks to a not-for-profit corporation similar to NYRA.”

“The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club remain deeply committed to reinvigorating Thoroughbred racing in Maryland, and this framework agreement represents an important first step in that process,” Stronach Group chairwoman Belinda Stronach said in a statement.

The report calls – perhaps quixotically – for the new operator to maintain a racing schedule of between 140 and 165 days, “emulate the strategies for successful boutique meets at other tracks,” increase purses 35% to draw even with Virginia, increase the number of starts by 15% to bring average field size to 8.5 runners per race, and increase breeding incentive funds by 15-20%.

The additional funding will almost certainly require increased subsidies from the state, and the report flags historical horse racing machines – essentially slot machines with the results based on earlier horse races – as one way to boost industry funding.

The plans are subject to approval by the General Assembly. The 2024 session kicks off January 10 and concludes April 8.

Check out this promotional video done by the Montpelier Hunt Races and Audi of Charlottesville capturing their record setting year with over 19,000 in attendance during the annual Fall Steeplechase meet. The video can be viewed here.

For more of a recap of the November …. races read the article below. originally posted on Nationalsteeplechase.com and written by Tod Marks.

At Montpelier in Montpelier Station, Va.

Former Brad Cox trainee makes successful debut on the flat

Lord Donegal, a three-year-old son of Noble Mission who started three times for Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox, made his NSA debut a winning one, taking the Montpelier Foundation Cup at a mile on the dirt for his new connections.

Owned by Karl McMillan and Richard Lam and ridden by Harry Beswick, Lord Donegal, who in his previous career won a maiden special weights win at Horseshoe Indianapolis in 2022, finished three lengths ahead of QR Stables’ Noble Gem (Bernie Dalton). Both Lord Donegal and Noble Gem are trained by Neil Morris.

Following an off-the-board finish in a black type stakes at Fair Grounds, Lord Donegal was claimed out of a race at Keeneland in April by Joe Sharp. The training race at Montpelier was his first start for his new team.

Hail to the chief: Potus takes $25,000 handicap in a landslide

In a handicap for horses rated at 110 or less, Riverdee Stable’s Potus took charge after the first fence, increased his margin, and won by daylight after Straylight Racing’s Frontline Citizen lost his rider while mounting a late bid.

With Jamie Bargary riding for Jack Fisher, the five-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid earned his first victory since breaking his maiden at the International Gold Cup Races in October 2022.

Though he controlled the pace from the outset, Potus faced a serious threat from Frontline Citizen in the stretch, who was challenging for the lead when jockey Alex Leventhal was unseated. Once that happened, Potus was able to score handily, by 11 ¼ lengths. Charlie Fenwick’s Withoutdestination (Harry Beswick) mounted a rally of his own two fences from home to finish second. William Russell’s Seismic Wave was third.

Rider-trainer McDermott wins first of two aboard Icandothat

Longtime NSA rider Sean McDermott has been turning more of his attention in the past few seasons to his training duties, but has remained active in the saddle as well, and on Saturday he piloted two winners while doing double duty.

In the $20,000 maiden claimer, McDermott broke swiftly aboard Vivian Rall’s Icandothat and was never seriously threatened, drawing off through the stretch by 9 ¾ lengths over Kiplin Hall’s Absam (Mikey Hamill), a one-time allowance winner on the turf at Saratoga. R&K Racing’s Bless Bless (Teddy Davies) was third.

The winner, a four-year-old Maryland-bred son of Divining Rod, has made nine starts this year, splitting his time between flat racing and steeplechasing. This was his first victory in 18 career outings.

Factotum opens NSA career with a victory

Celtic Venture Stable’s Factotum, a veteran flat runner at Woodbine and Penn National, made his NSA debut in a $20,000 maiden claiming hurdle and looked every bit like a seasoned warrior, digging in to hold off Hudson River Farm’s Sleight of Hand by a neck.

Trained and ridden by the father-and-son duo of Joe and Teddy Davies, the four-year-old Ontario-bred son of Blame started toward the back of the field, gained ground after the ninth fence, and had a lead into the stretch when Sleight of Hand (Tom Garner), also a recent convert to jump racing, came at him. Taco Tuesday Amigos Ice Bar, trained and ridden by Gerard Galligan, was third.

Casamo gives McDermott training-riding double

Sean McDermott was back in the winner’s circle in the fifth race with South Branch Equine’s Casamo, who made a late rush to surge past a handful of rivals in the stretch to break his maiden by 1 ¼ lengths. The Hundred Acre Field’s Samui Sunset (Mikey Hamill), who mounted a late rally of his own, was second.

Like many of McDermott’s runners, Casamo is a Maryland-bred, and the lightly raced  four-year-old son of Mosler, a stakes-placed son of War Front, improved off of a sharp second in a maiden hurdle at the Virginia Fall Races last month. That race in Middleburg was only his second effort over jumps.

Right Tempo turns the table on Say Goodbye and talented field in filly & mare stake

On paper, it was hard to look past Robocour’s Say Goodbye in the $50,000 Marion duPont Scott Memorial filly and mare stakes. The seven-year-old made her first start outside of Ireland in October in the Peapack stakes at Far Hills. Sent off as the odds-on favorite off of two wins in her previous three starts in Europe, the Gordon Elliott-trainee sat behind pacesetter Bella Coola, took a slight lead heading up the backside the final time, and battled Potter Group USA and Ashwell Stable’s Right Tempo from the final fence to the wire. It wasn’t until the pair was in deep stretch that Say Goodbye was able to edge clear, winning by 3 1/4 lengths.

But at Montpelier, Right Tempo, trained by Leslie Young and ridden by Jamie Bargary, was content to sit back in the field of four as Say Goodbye (Mikey Hamill) set the fractions for the first two miles. Right Tempo began to pick up the pace at the eighth fence and was in contention entering the stretch. Meanwhile, Say Goodbye – toting high weight of 165 pounds in the handicap, 22 more than Right Tempo – was out of gas by that time and faded to last. Irv Naylor’s Bercasa actually grabbed the lead before the final fence, but was outrun by Right Tempo, who was in front by 1 ¼ lengths at the wire.

For Right Tempo, a five-year-old French-bred, it was her first stakes score and fourth top-three finish in five stakes outings since starting her racing career in the spring.

Noel Laing gives Zabeel Champion back-to-back stakes wins

Coming off of a hard-fought victory in the $50,000 Appleton Stakes at Far Hills, Martin Tedham and Wasdell Properties’ Zabeel Champion proved his victory on racing’s championship day was no fluke.

The $75,000 Noel Laing drew a field of seven including three of those who finished far back in the Appleton: Bruton Street-US’ Proven Innocent, Riverdee Stable’s Gordon’s Jet, and Del Rio Racing’s Soviet Pimpernel. Also in the field were two runners exiting the Grade 1 Grand National at Far Hills: Gill Johnston’s Mortlach and Irv Naylor’s Scorpion’s Revenge.

But it was all Zabeel Champion, who started slow under Bernie Dalton, moved up to stalk leader Eye of Gunfighter after the first mile and a half, and took charge entering the stretch. Scorpion’s Revenge, under Gerard Galligan, was also in contention through the stretch but outrun by the winner. The margin of victory was 3 ¼ lengths. Proven Innocent (Jamie Bargary) was third, about two lengths behind Scorpion’s Revenge. Hall of fame conditioner Jack Fisher trained both the winner and runnerup.

It is a new year and that means we are that much closer to the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. Listed below are some significant races coming up throughout January, including several Derby preps. The next opportunity to advanced wager on the Kentucky Derby will be available on January 19th and running until the 21st. All of these races and much more can be wagered in Virginia at all seven Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums in New Kent, Richmond, Hampton, Dumfries, Emporia, Collinsville & Vinton, at the VA-Horseplay OTBs inside Breakers Sports Grille in Henrico & Buckets Bar & Grill in Chesapeake, and online via four partner sites—Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com & NYRABets.com.

Graded Stakes:

1/6/2024 – San Vicente at Santa Anita (Gr. 2)

1/20/2024 – Lecomte Stakes at Fairgrounds (Gr. 3) – Derby Prep

1/27/2024 – San Pascal Stakes at Santa Anita (Gr. 2)

1/27/2024 – Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park (Gr. 3) – Derby Prep

Pegasus World Cup Weekend at Gulfstream Park:

Triple Crown Dates:

Kentucky Derby: 5/4/2024

Preakness: 5/18/2024

Belmont: 6/8/2024

The VEA (Virginia Equine Alliance) recently sent out its end of year 2023 newsletter. Covering everything from the Arlington Million to Shenandoah Downs inaugural spring meet. To read more about these topics and everything else Virginia horse racing from 2023 you can view the newsletter here.

The Virginia steeplechase community lost a pillar on December 18 as Will O’Keefe, an iconic race caller and chairman of the Virginia Fall Races, passed away at the age of 76. Condolences go out to Will’s family and friends.

The following story appeared in Bloodhorse.com.

The Virginia Fall Race Committee announced Dec. 20 the death of Will O’Keefe, a Virginia Steeplechase Hall of Fame inductee, horseman, fox hunter, and race announcer. O’Keefe, 76, was race director for the Virginia Fall races and is the son of Dr. Frank O’Keefe, who bred 1966 Kentucky Derby winner Kauai King.

“Will assumed his role of race director for the Virginia Fall Races just 10 years ago and he did it all,” the committee said in a statement. “He arrived early, stayed late, worked out the stall assignments, put up the stall cards, conducted the officials’ meeting, called for the vet check, and welcomed owners, trainers, grooms, and spectators to Glenwood Park for a day of racing.

“Then he took his seat behind the microphone. He called the races with a voice that delivered clarity, drama, accuracy, and knowledge, stride for stride. He always said he had the best seat in the house at every race meet and indeed he did. He may have had the best seat, but the Virginia Fall Race Committee certainly had a one-of-a-kind leader and a friend to all.”

O’Keefe announced his last race at Glenwood Park, at his race meet, a timber race, in October 2022.

In an article about O’Keefe written in 2020 by Betsy Burke Parker, O’Keefe estimated he would handle the race calling for around 20 meets that year and figured during his 41 years of race calling had provided the color to more than 5,000 races.

O’Keefe got into race calling when he was the race secretary for the Casanova Hunt Point-to-Point in the late 1970s. When announcer Barney Brittle stepped down in 1978, O’Keefe had to find a replacement and went to his father to handle the calls by promising he would be at his side to help identify horses and provide any details as the race unfolded.

“I realized after that first year, it’d be just as easy to do it myself,” O’Keefe told Parker. He took the microphone full-time in 1980.

O’Keefe said that having grown up going to racetracks along the East Coast with his father, he learned the finer points of a solid race call.

“There’s a certain rhythm to it,” he told Parker. “I probably have a Southern accent when I talk, but I don’t think I do when I announce. You learn to project your voice.”

O’Keefe was recognized with numerous honors for his contributions to the sport. He was named Point-to-Point Man of the Year (has also served as Virginia Point-to-Point Association secretary, and Virginia Steeplechase Association secretary and president) in 1986; won the VSA’s Francis Thornton Green award in 1990; was inducted in the Virginia Steeplechase Hall of Fame in 2007; was recognized with the Yves Henry Lifetime Achievement Award and was named Loudoun Preservation Society’s preservationist of the year in 2011; and, received the Monk Noland Award for service to the racing community by the Steeplechase Owners and Trainers Association and National Steeplechase Association in 2019.

In 1980, O’Keefe also owned and trained the Virginia Point-to-Point Association champion steeplechase mare Royal Greed.

Instead of flowers, the family would like donations to be made in O’Keefe’s name to the Virginia Fall Races, PO Box 2, Middleburg, Va., 20118. A celebration of life in his honor and memory will be held in the spring.

Frank Petramalo, longtime Executive Director of the Virginia HBPA, announced he will be retiring at the end of the year. He will be replaced by Glen Berman who served as Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Director and General Counsel from 2009-2016 and most recently, as head of the Florida HBPA.

Petramalo served on Virginia’s HBPA Board from 2001-2005 and took over as Executive Director in his final year. A native of Rochester, New York, he was introduced to racing at a young age betting harness races at nearby Batavia Downs. “Everyone in the neighborhood was crazy about playing races there,” he said. “I remember winning my first daily double on a 5-5 combination that paid $18 and was hooked instantly.”

Petramalo bought his first horse in 1995 from Virginia horsewoman Diana McClure and they turned it into a steeplechaser. McClure acquired the horse from Billy Turner, who was trainer of the legendary Seattle Slew. Petramalo has owned jump horses ever since.        

Highlights from Petramalo’s HBPA stint read like a history of Virginia racing. He played a lead role in many accomplishments and victories. Included in the lengthy list: Ensuring that a percent of a track’s live race signal sales are directed to horsemen, legalizing Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) in Virginia, increasing the number of OTBs that Colonial Downs can operate from six to ten, increasing the percent of ADW handle that goes to the track and horsemen, formation of the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), legislating a source market fee that helps fund the VEA and enabled it to open four OTBs while Colonial Downs was shuttered, and to enact legislation that allows Historical Horse Racing (HHR) in the state — which led to the reopening of Colonial in 2019 and a new era of higher purse levels and quality racing. 

“Virginia racing had always been small on the radar screen,” said Petramalo. “The most we ever raced in New Kent was a 45-day meet in 2008 which took place over nine weeks. The HBPA got involved in some cutting edge and very interesting stuff over the past couple decades though. In 2001, the horsemen had a contract with Colonial and weren’t getting a dime on the sale of the Colonial simulcast signal. They needed horsemen’s approval to race so in 2002, we negotiated a deal and for the first time, horsemen got 50% of host fees.”

“The HBPA got involved in lobbying and was very successful. In cooperation with the track, increasing the amount of OTBs to ten was huge,” he added. “Keep in mind these were the old days and financing purses came from year-round wagering at the OTBs. We worked a partnership agreement with Colonial and from that, set up a matrix to determine the number of live race days each year. We set a daily purse goal of $200,000 a day and based on how much was in the purse account, figured out how many days we could run.” 

The formation of VEA in 2015 was key to bringing racing back to Virginia. “That was solely Debbie Easter’s idea,” said Petramalo. “We put together a horsemen’s organization after Colonial shut down and moved forward as a non-profit corporation. We developed a four-way partnership and went back to the legislature to propose that the five percent source market fee of wagers that went to Colonial should go to the VEA. It became a direct funding mechanism and has worked out great. The VEA opened up OTBs as a result which was totally unprecedented.” 

Later that year, the VEA ran a harness meet in Nelson County (south of Charlottesville) and in 2016, opened Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock which begins its ninth season of standardbred racing on April 6. In 2017, Larry Lucas, who had been Board Chairman of Youbet.com, met with Petramalo and Stephanie Nixon about his group’s desire to buy Colonial Downs. In order to move forward, they needed to get legislation in place that allowed HHR. He asked the HBPA to support the cause.  

“We worked closely with Larry’s people and lo and behold, legislation was enacted to enable HHR. We negotiated a revenue sharing agreement and the VEA’s four member groups share in the HHR revenue. Nobody expected HHR to be as lucrative as it has turned out to be.”

This year, over $4 billion will be wagered on 2,790 HHR terminals in play at seven Rosie’s Gaming Emporium locations acrosss the state. 

“We started out at purse levels of $200,000 a day and with the HHR revenue sharing agreement, were over $690,000 a day this year. We paid out $18.7 million in purses in 2023 and 75% of that came from HHR revenue. The trajectory is going forward and upwards.”

Petramalo hands the torch off to Berman on January 1 and leaves the industry in an enviable spot. “I think it’s a nice position to be in. Virginia is one of the few states where racing’s future looks pretty good as far as increasing days and purses. Glen should be a perfect fit here. Where else can you have an opportunity to do something positive versus handling damage control.”

There will be challenges to tackle in the near future, mainly in the expansion of gaming. “That is something I never expected,” said Petramalo. “When I came to Virginia you couldn’t shop on Sundays, but things change of course. The state put its foot in the water with HHR followed by sports gambling, fantasy games and casinos. There are currently four casinos being built with a fifth one coming at some point. Legislation is pending to allow grey machines to come back to the extent they will be taxed and regulated. They are a huge competitor for us. We’ll all be keeping our fingers crossed that HHR continues to sustain itself and can compete with other forms of gaming.” 

Petramalo said he will miss working with various Boards to help better the racing business. “I served under two HBPA presidents — Robin Richards and David Ross — and a number of Board members like Donna Dennehy, Jill Gordon-Moore and Susie Chatfield-Taylor who are all very good and very smart people. Same with the other HBPA Board members that have been there for a long time. It’s been a real pleasure to have worked with them. It’s a group of horsemen so you’ll always hear different opinions, but they made working there a lot of fun.”

Asked if he’ll miss being involved in racing on a day-to-day basis, Petramalo admitted that he will. “During the meet, I spend most of my time on the backstretch. The time between 6 and 10 AM on the backside is the most enjoyable part of the racing experience. There are a lot of characters working back there that make the day fun and interesting. There is great satisfaction in being able to help grooms. The people there work seven days a week and the pay is pretty low. We provided medical, dental and optical care for folks back there. Dental care was very important – we spent $45,000 last year in dental bills alone. Satisfaction comes from helping folks who could really benefit,” he added. “They are pleased as punch that you are helping them. They are very nice people. The part I won’t miss though is being away from home in New Kent for three solid months and coming home only on Sundays.”

–Virginia Racing Commission December 6, 2023 meeting update written by Nick Hahn (as it appeared in The Racing Biz)-

The summer meet at Colonial Downs in 2024 will look very similar to the one run earlier this year. But what comes next could be pretty interesting.

The Virginia Racing Commission approved December 6 a request by parent company Churchill Downs, Inc. for Colonial Downs to host 27 days of racing beginning July 11 in a three-day, nine-week format. With last summer’s initial Festival of Racing at Colonial Downs that included the Arlington Million (G1), Beverly D (G1) and Secretariat Stakes (G2) setting a single-day Colonial handle record (just shy of $10 million), racing officials chose the status quo, setting August 10 for the renewal.

Also unaltered is the stakes-loaded Virginia Derby Day, which will again be the last day of the 2024 meet on September 7. The meet format remains largely unchanged except that post time for Friday racing has moved to 4:30 pm. Commissioners approved Thursday’s post time for 1:30 pm, but Colonial Downs is considering moving that day’s start time to 4:30 pm, as well. 

Purse levels will reach nearly $700,000 per day under a two-year contract that was approved by the Commission between Colonial Downs and the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (VHBPA); it was more than $650,000 daily in 2023. Using $700,000 as a baseline purse level, racing would expand to 40 days in 2025 assuming historical horse racing machines come online at The Rose in Dumfries, expected to house 1,000 terminals. Virginia law mandates one day of live thoroughbred racing for every 100 HHR terminals that come on-line, making the timing of the Dumfries opening sensitive. Currently there are 2790 terminals in Virginia operating with the number expected to rise, if the Dumfries location meets its opening goal, to over 4,000 by the end of next year.

While Churchill Downs is not contractually tied to hosting forty days of racing in 2025, the construction of a new 20-room dormitory on the backstretch by 2025, updates to the irrigation system along the outer rail, and improvements to the turf lighting system are part of the agreement. It was learned during the meeting that Colonial Downs will be looking for new supervision over its highly regarded racecourses, as Harrison Young, Director of Racing Surfaces, will not return in 2024.

Commissioners also approved fourteen days of harness racing from April 6 through May 19 at Shenandoah Downs, the up-and-coming harness venue that has operated racing in a county fair-like atmosphere in Woodstock, Virginia for over a century. “Shenatoga” will host racing on Saturdays and Sundays will first race post time being 1:05 PM.

Commissioners also approved ADW License renewals for TwinSpires, TVG, Xpressbet and NYRAbets. 

Debbie Easter of the Virginia Thoroughbred Association received approval after her presentation to amend Virginia breeder and stallion awards to award bonuses for Virginia-bred -sired thoroughbreds to receive bonuses from third place up, replacing the winners-only bonus that was previously applied. Virginia’s $3 million Certified Residency program that rewards thoroughbred performance that reside in Virginia for at least six months up to their two-year-old year remained unchanged.

Later in the meeting, the Commission heard a Victor-Strategies report about HHR in response to a Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) concept that would remove HHR regulation from the Racing Commission and place it under the Virginia Lottery Board at first and perhaps eventually under the purview of a newly created statewide gaming commission.

Currently, a gaming sub-committee in Virginia’s General Assembly is reviewing all gaming regulation in Virginia. Under the Virginia Racing Commission, HHR has been a significant portion of the economic model that has worked well for Colonial Downs since its reopening in 2019. The 2023 meet recorded $72 million handle, down slightly from $75.1 million in 2022 but far above any prior year.

“The uniqueness of horse racing is such that you need review by a dedicated agency,” said Richard Schuetz, an expert who took part in the presentation.

Recent advancements in racing in Virginia have been encouraging enough to inspire Virginia’s First Lady, Suzanne Youngkin, to appear in a recently released video promoting Virginia’s overall horse industry and showcasing racing. The new video was presented to the commission.

The Commission thanked Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (VHBPA) director Frank Petramalo for his decades of service in representing the horsemen. Petramalo is stepping down as executive director of the VHPBA but will remain as consultant. Commissioners were introduced to Glen Berman, who is taking over Petramalo’s role. 

Schedule to mirror 2023 season racing Thursday through Sunday

Racing dates for 2024 at Colonial Downs were approved today at the Virginia Racing Commission meeting. The 27-day live racing season will be held over nine weeks from Thursday, July 11 through Saturday, September 7. The New Kent racetrack will race three days per week, Thursday through Saturday.

“The success of the 2023 meet, which brought weekend racing back to Colonial Downs, was a credit to the tremendous support here in Virginia from the owners, trainers, horseplayers, hard-working staff, and partners,” said Senior Director of Racing Operations Frank Hopf. “We’re excited to build upon the momentum and look forward to a tremendous 2024 season.” 

The Festival of Racing including the Grade 1 Arlington Million is slated for Saturday, August 10. The Grade 3 Virginia Derby will anchor the closing day card on Saturday, September 7.  The entire stakes schedule for the 2024 season will be made available in the coming weeks.

The 2023 season offered more than $650,000 per day in purses and boasted an average of 8.19 starters per race. Average daily handle was $2,658,028. Purse money for the 2024 season is expected to be nearly $700,000 per day.

a has managed to maintain, grow, and thrive in the modern horse-racing industry. This is possible because of the men and women who work so hard every day to continue to expand the sport. No one in the Commonwealth has been more supportive or a greater spokesperson than First Lady Suzanne Youngkin. The attached clip is a promotional piece done by the VEA (Virginia Equine Alliance) in partnership with First Lady Suzanne Youngkin. The video can be watched here.

Churchill Down (CDI) purchased Colonial Downs at the end of 2022. Part of CDI’s promise to the Commonwealth was that racing would continue and be stronger than ever in Virginia. They kept this promise by creating the Colonial Downs “Festival of Racing.” This massive card on August 12 attracted many of the biggest horses and horsemen in the nation. The event was highlighted by the Grade I Arlington Million, and Beverly D, as well as the Grade II Secretariat Stakes. But also, by the presence of Virginia Governor and First Lady, Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Youngkin. The Governor and his wife have been extremely supportive of the “Virginia Renaissance” in racing. They even hosted a party the night before the “Festival of Racing” for members of the horse racing community in Virginia, Churchill Downs Executives, and the last living connections of racehorse hero and Virginian Secretariat.

Another huge step forward for the equine industry in 2023 was the addition of the first-ever Spring Harness meet at Shenandoah Downs in Woodstock, VA. The expansion of dates and addition of a whole other meet illustrates the commitment to the equine industry in the Commonwealth and the upward trajectory of not only thoroughbreds — but also the standard-bred harness horses and all the men and women who make their livelihood from the sport of harness racing.

Horse racing in Virginia has never been in a stronger position. An industry that creates over 38,000 jobs and contributes over 1.3 billion dollars to the economy annually. With the continued partnership of CDI, the VEA, and Virginia’s first family, the future is bright. We look forward to many more years of expansion in the equine industry and to bringing more breeders, owners, and trainers into the Commonwealth. Governor Youngkin’s campaign slogan is “I think Virginia is the best place to live, work, and raise a family.” On Arlington Million Day he had one more to add to the list: “Virginia is the best place to be a horse!”