by: Adrienne Mayfield
Posted: Mar 25, 2020 / 10:30 AM EDT / Updated: Mar 25, 2020 / 10:36 AM EDT

RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia’s only horse racing track is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but its owners are placing their bets on the commonwealth’s medical professionals, first responders, and grocery store workers to help communities through the crisis.

The Colonial Downs Group — which operates the Colonial Downs horse racing track in New Kent County — has committed to serving 20,000 free “grab and go” meals to Virginia’s coronavirus first responders during the crisis. These include doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, grocery store workers, and others who are stepping up to serve their community, according to a news release.

The company owns several off-track betting facilities, called Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums, in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent County and Vinton (outside Roanoke).

The kitchens at the off-track betting facilities will be used to cook the grab and go meals. The Colonial Downs Group is working with the localities it does business with to determine who meals should go to and it will begin distributing them on April 1, the news release states.

Here are the guidelines from Rosie’s:

Must place meal order one day in advance; unable to take day of orders.
Pickup available from 11AM-7PM
Orders taken Monday through Friday
Meals available Tuesday through Saturday
Limited menu created based on local resource availability.
Groups of 10 or more encouraged.
Phone numbers to call to order meals:

New Kent: (804) 557-5444
Richmond: (804) 557-5500
Hampton: (804) 557-5600
Vinton: (804) 557-5480

The Colonial Downs Group shut down the horse racing track and its Rosie’s locations on March 15; however, it will continue to pay employees through the end of April.

“Like all Virginians, we are trying to navigate through an incredibly stressful and difficult time. We want our employees to know we are taking every step possible to get them through this period, and that we value their service,” Colonial Downs Group CEO Aaron Gomes wrote in a news release. “That is why we raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour last year at all of our facilities, and it is why we are taking this action today.”

by: Aaron Thompson
Posted: Apr 1, 2020 / 05:11 PM EDT / Updated: Apr 1, 2020 / 05:11 PM EDT

VINTON, Va. (WFXR) — Today kicked off the start of Rosie‘s gaming Emporium‘s “Rosies Gives Back” which handles a lot of charity causes and events. Today’s event is geared towards giving 20,000 free meals to those continuing to work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know that so many of our friends, family and neighbors have to be out there every day on the front line of this fight against the coronavirus. With our facilities closed we have the capacity to help them, in our own small way, by using our kitchens to provide free meals to Virginia’s community heroes: the police officers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, grocery store employees and all those who are stepping up to serve their fellow Virginians.”

Those ordering need to give Rosie’s a full day to process and have the order ready for curbside pickup.

“The order will be ready the following day, so you got to give us that 24 hour window… so we’re taking orders the day before.” -ERNIE DELLAVERSON, GENERAL MANAGER – ROSIE’S VINTON

Rosie’s has already delivered pizzas for a local Kroger to help feed the hard working staff there.

“These guys are pretty much working around the clock, coming in early, staying late to keep the store and shelves stocked for all of us.”- ERNIE DELLAVERSON, GENERAL MANAGER – ROSIE’S VINTON

General Manager Ernie Dellaverson wants people to know about Rosie’s Gives Back before this current event ends.

“They could go on rosiesgaming.com/rosiesgivesback and it’ll list all the different phone numbers and locations and how to places your orders there.”

Curbside pickup is only available Tuesdays through Saturdays for a limited time.

 Secretariat Course Prepared on His 50^th Birthday 

NEW KENT, VA – March 30, 2020 – At a time when everyone is seeking signs of a return to normalcy in the months ahead, Colonial Downs, in conjunction with the New Kent Fire Department and Virginia Department of Forestry, will conduct a controlled burn of its Secretariat Turf Course today (March 30). The burn will take place, conditions permitting (high winds could delay the burn) at 10515 Colonial Downs Pkwy, New Kent, VA 23124. This annual burn helps prepare and nurture the country’s widest grass racing surface for a six-week summer thoroughbred season which is scheduled to begin July 23 and continue through August 29.

The burn itself takes dead “cover” off the turf in a rapid manner and allows it to grow back more plush, green and safe within weeks if not days. The controlled burn strategy is used as opposed to trimming, because the fire drives nutrients back into the soil. This method yields benefits over cutting the grass.

“The dormant leaf that sits atop the Bermuda grass is dead and that’s what burns,” said Colonial Downs VP of Racing Jill Byrne. “If we were to cut and blow that leaf, it would take ten days and we’d lose nutrients.”

Today’s burn is scheduled to begin around 4:00 PM and will take several hours. Colonial Down’s Racing Operations Manager Jeff Wingrove will oversee the burn process. The New Kent Fire Department will supply brush trucks and position inside the turf course and outside the track’s perimeter to prevent flames from spreading. A crew of fire swatters will also be on-hand to ensure the fire stays within its planned boundaries.

NOTE: Smoke in the sky above the track on Monday, March 30 is not cause for concern. Turf burns should not be attempted by the general public.

Today’s burn is taking place on Secretariat’s 50th birthday. The iconic Virginia-bred was born March 30, 1970 at The Meadow Farm in Doswell. Colonial’s Secretariat Turf Course is 180 feet wide and at its outermost part, is 1 1/8 miles around. Ten different rail positions and lanes are available over the surface to maximize its use during the meet. It is divided into an inner turf course and an outer turf course. Last year, 130 of the 144 races contested were held on grass.

***Company Also Announces Initiative to Provide 20,000 Free Meals to Virginia’s Community Heroes in the Fight Against the Coronavirus***

Rosie’s Kitchens Will Prepare 20,000 “Grab and Go” Meals for Public Safety, Health Care Professionals, and All Other Essential Personnel Required to Work During This Unprecedented Time

Details: www.rosiesgaming.com/rosiesgivesback 

Richmond, VA – March 25, 2020 – Colonial Downs Group, which operates Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent County and Vinton, and the Colonial Downs Racetrack also in New Kent County, announced this morning that they will continue to pay all company employees through the end of April. This continues a policy first announced on March 15^th when the company initially closed its facilities in the Commonwealth. In addition the company will now transition its Rosie’s Kitchens and kitchen staff to providing 20,000 free “grab and go” meals for Virginia’s community heroes serving on the front lines of the state’s ongoing response to the coronavirus pandemic. Meals will be provided in each region in which the company has a facility, in consultation with local officials and businesses serving the public during this period.

Speaking about these announcements, Aaron Gomes, Chief Operating Officer for Colonial Downs Group, remarked, “Like all Virginians, we are trying to navigate through an incredibly stressful and difficult time. We want our employees to know we are taking every step possible to get them through this period, and that we value their service. That’s why we raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour last year at all of our facilities, and it’s why we are taking this action today. We hope this announcement provides the men and women who work at Rosie’s with some peace of mind in this challenging moment.”

Gomes continued, adding, “At the same time we know that so many of our friends, family and neighbors have to be out there every day on the front line of this fight against the coronavirus. With our facilities closed we have the capacity to help them, in our own small way, by using our kitchens to provide free meals to Virginia’s community heroes: the police officers, doctors, nurses, firefighters, grocery store employees and all those who are stepping up to serve their fellow Virginians. We will work with local leaders and businesses in the localities in which we operate to identify where we can be most helpful in this effort. We hope this partnership helps make a positive difference in the weeks ahead.”

Rosie’s will offer the meals effective April 1 and will starting taking orders for pick up on March 30.

Rosie’s employees will be paid in full for this one-month period. Employee paychecks, paid time off and benefits will not be affected. Rosie’s employees have been encouraged to seek medical attention if they experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Colonial Downs Group has said any time spent away from work as a result of COVID-19 will not impact employees.

Rosie’s to Temporarily Close All Locations in Response to COVID-19

Gaming Emporiums to Reopen March 30

Richmond, VA – March 15, 2020 – Colonial Downs Group is announcing it will temporarily close its Rosie’s locations in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent & Vinton at the end of business today until Monday, March 30. The health and safety of our employees and customers is our top priority and we are taking this action out of an abundance of caution as the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to elevate concerns across the nation and around the world. In taking this action, Colonial Downs Group is following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for social distancing as well as following directives made for the health and welfare of all Virginians by Governor Ralph Northam.

“While there are no known COVID-19 cases impacting anyone associated with any Rosie’s location, the safety of our team and our customers is our top priority,” said Aaron Gomes, Chief Operating Officer for Colonial Downs Group. “As we have continued to monitor the situation, our action complies with federal and state guidance and is the right thing to do as a preventative measure.”

Rosie’s employees will be paid in full for this two-week period. Employee paychecks, paid time off and benefits will not be affected. Rosie’s employees have been encouraged to seek medical attention if they experience symptoms consistent with COVID-19. Colonial Downs Group has said any time spent away from work as a result of COVID-19 will not impact employees.

“We strongly value our employees and customers and the contributions they make in the communities where we operate. We will continue to encourage everyone to follow the guidelines established by the CDC and our state of Virginia to protect themselves, loved ones and families to reduce health risks,” said Gomes. “We look forward to seeing our guests and team members again when we reopen Rosie’s.”

A local man won the largest jackpot in Rosie’s history on a $25 spin at the Richmond Rosie’s on Thursday afternoon. Baron Rene Diaz-Reyez celebrated with his family, who joined him at Rosie’s after hearing about his good fortune. The previous record Rosie’s jackpot of $146,206.85 was won in New Kent County on May 28, 2019. Rosie’s has paid out over $50 million in jackpots since first opening 9 months ago.

Tickets Now on Sale for Meet Beginning July 23
General Admission Remains Free

Live racing returns to Colonial Downs in New Kent County in July and August with premium tickets going on sale today. General admission and parking are free. The best thoroughbred horses from around the country will run every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from July 23 through August 29. Premium tickets and full racing schedule are available at www.colonialdowns.com.

Colonial Downs’ second season since the return and revitalization of thoroughbred horse racing in Virginia offers a family friendly atmosphere for everyone: fine dining in the Jockey Club and Turf Club, private suites for larger parties, outdoor clubhouse boxes, reserved grandstand seating and a new hospitality tent trackside open to everyone.

Other race meet highlights include:

• Approximately $500,000 in daily purses and over $2.8 million in total stakes, including a robust Virginia bred and certified schedule during the 18 day meet will attract the best horses and jockeys from around the country to compete over the renowned Secretariat turf course, and second largest dirt track in North America.
• July 23-25 opening weekend kicks off with over $700,000 in VA bred and restricted stakes races.
• August 15 – MATCH Series, featuring $500,000 in stakes races.
• August 28-29 – closing weekend offering over $1.2 million in stakes races highlighted by the G-3 VA Derby on Saturday night with the VA Oaks, Rosie’s and Kitten’s Joy Stakes. (Last year’s Rosie’s Stakes winner, Four Wheel Drive, went on to capture the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.)

“We are looking forward to an expanded race meet this year offering one of the highest purse structures in the country”, said Jill Byrne, Vice President of Racing at Colonial Downs. “The 2019 season was a very successful return to live thoroughbred racing at Colonial Downs and incredible support from horsemen and women, and fans and patrons from around the country. I love seeing families and guests out on the track apron where they can get close up to the horses and jockeys and watch the action from rail side.”

John Marshall, Executive Vice President of Operations at Colonial Downs Group added, “With a variety of ticketing and dining options as well as free general admission, it makes for an entertaining night out for everyone. Our motto is to add life, and we are adding life to New Kent County and Virginia during racing season and all year round.”