With the barn area opening just one week from today, July 25, anticipation is running high for 2019 Colonial Downs race meeting after a six-year hiatus of flat racing in Virginia, highlighted by the enthusiastic arrival of trainers across the Middle Atlantic, Northeast and Midwestern regions, and attracted by a strong purse structure of $500,000 per day and major capital improvements throughout the facility.

For its 15-day meeting beginning August 8, the Colonial Downs Group has executed wide-sweeping improvements and upgrades to the racetrack, including a new irrigation system for its world-renowned Secretariat turf course, renovations to the 1 ¼-mile dirt track, stable area and paddock, receiving and test barns and dormitories, new jockey’s room kitchen and the installation of a new tote board and video board.

Stabling capacity will accommodate approximately 700 stalls.

Among the many trainers who have committed to stalls for the upcoming meet are multiple graded-stakes winning conditioners John Servis, (Smarty Jones, Jaywalk), Brian Lynch (Oscar Performance, Heart to Heart, Grand Arch) Larry Rivelli (Cocked and Loaded, Wellabled) and Steve Klesaris (Diabolical, Sky Diva), as well as Ferris Allen,  Alan Bedard, Gerald Brooks, Robert Bordis, Mike Campbell, Candy Courtemanche, Michael Ewing; Jack Fisher, Karen Godsey; Kenny Huffman, Lilli Kurtinecz, Chuck Lawrence, R.B. McCutcheon, Sarah Nagle, Joan Scott and Tom Vance.

Those not stabling at Colonial, but who have expressed interest in shipping horses to race are trainers Rusty Arnold, Chad Brown, Mark Casse, Arnaud Delacour, Shug McGaughey, H. Graham Motion, Jamie Ness, Dale Romans, Mike Stidham, Jonathan Thomas, Michael Trombetta, Todd Pletcher and Ian Wilkes, among others.

Along with the trainers, jockeys who plan on riding regularly at the meet include Adam Bishizza,  Horacio Karamanos, who is the all-time leading jockey at Colonial Downs, Chuck Lopez,  Feargal Lynch, Trevor McCarthy, Frankie Pennington, Ruben Silvera, Edwin Rivera  and Erin Walker.

With Colonial Downs offering the highest jockey’s mount fee in the mid-Atlantic area, expect participation from top riders around the country.

“We are extremely excited by the level of interest from trainers coming in to stable from many locations, and the overall support we have received from the racing community as we approach the opening of our meet,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President Racing Operations. “Our goal from the beginning has been to establish the highest standards in delivering a first-class racing and stabling environment for our horsemen by improving the basic structures of the facility and hiring experienced professionals from around the industry to ensure quality and integrity in our product.”

In addition to the minimum daily $500,000 purse structure, there will be added incentives for horsemen, including:

• Each owner will receive $1000 per start for any of its horses which do not earn $1000 in that race.
• Each trainer also will receive $300 for each time they start a horse.
• Colonial Downs will offer free horse transportation originating from Fair Hill Training Center.

In addition to Byrne, who ran the broadcasting division at Churchill Downs and most recently in the racing department at the Breeders’ Cup,  the Colonial Downs racing office is led by Racing Secretary Allison De Luca, who also is Racing Secretary at Tampa Bay Downs, and Assistant Racing Secretary Sam Elliott. Carlos Garcia, a leading trainer in Maryland for many years, will be the Stall Superintendent. Also arriving from Tampa Bay Downs is Anthony “Spike” Ranno, the  Starter and Dennis Petrucelli, the Clerk of Scales.

The highlight of the stakes calendar will be the $250,000 Virginia Derby (G3) and the $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Virginia Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, both on August 31.

Las Vegas & Atlantic City Entertainer T-Fox to Headline All 3 Nights

Colonial Downs Group will host a grand opening celebration at Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Richmond this Thursday – Saturday, July 18 – 20, beginning each evening at 6:00 p.m. The festivities will include nightly performances by critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and entertainer T-Fox, prize drawings and t-shirt giveaways.

T-Fox performed at the Tropicana Casino in Las Vegas for 15 years and has performed at the Tropicana Hotel Casino and Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. T-Fox is an outstanding showman who can switch back and forth between genres as seamlessly as he switches octaves and costumes while captivating and amazing audiences. He will perform each night at Richmond Rosie’s beginning at 8:00 p.m.

Players will want to arrive early as the first 250 people to arrive starting at 6:00 p.m. each night will receive a free grand opening t-shirt. There will be a series of lucky winner drawings each night. In total, 15 lucky people will win free play for a year.

Richmond Rosie’s general manager Phillip Harris stated, “We have enjoyed fantastic turnout since opening the doors on July 1 and this is our way of thanking our neighbors and the community that has been so supportive of our efforts to introduce a new form of gaming and entertainment to Richmond while also bringing thoroughbred horse racing back to Virginia.”

Live racing returns to the Colonial Downs track in New Kent County on August 8. The Virginia Oaks & Virginia Derby will both return on August 31.

Rosie’s in Richmond is now open weekdays 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 a.m., and weekends 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 am. Rosie’s are also open at Colonial Downs in New Kent and in Vinton with a Hampton Rosie’s scheduled to open in fall 2019 and other locations to follow. Rosie’s will generate $25 million in state taxes annually and create 900 jobs statewide.

Partners with Tweedy Family to Spotlight Virginia Native Son, 1973 Triple Crown Winner and Racing Champion

Colonial Downs Group announced today plans to name its turf course for 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. A name synonymous with the sport of Thoroughbred racing, Secretariat was born at Meadow Stable in Doswell, Va., in 1970. He became a national hero in his historic 1973 Triple Crown campaign that set records in each of the classic races culminating with a performance for the ages when he won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths.

Secretariat’s Virginia roots trace back to the 1930s when Christopher Chenery established a breeding and racing operation at the Meadow, a farm that had been in his family since colonial days. In the late 1960s, Chenery’s daughter Penny, took the management reins at the farm and earned the informal title of the “First Lady of Racing” for her popularity with fans during the Triple Crown campaigns of Riva Ridge in 1972 and that of Secretariat one year later.

The Secretariat Turf Course will be ready when Colonial Downs opens for live racing Aug. 8. The collaboration is part of a licensing agreement with the Tweedy family and Secretariat.com that also will feature an annual Secretariat Day at the racetrack as well as equine welfare fund-raising and other promotional opportunities, including festivities planned for Virginia Derby Day on Aug. 31. “Colonial Downs is thrilled to partner with the Tweedy family and spotlight one of Virginia racing’s brightest stars, who was foaled less than 50 miles from our own gates,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President of Racing operations. “Secretariat’s enduring legacy continues to reverberate with new generations of fans, and it is only fitting that Colonial Downs recognizes this native son of the Commonwealth.”

“My family and I are excited that live racing has returned to Virginia and that we can contribute by sharing the legacy of Secretariat.” said Kate Chenery Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery. “The Secretariat Turf Course will no doubt witness great racing contests, something my mother and my grandfather would have especially loved to see. Our family also applauds Colonial Downs for their efforts to engage existing horse lovers and generate new racing fans.” Tweedy is co-author of Secretariat’s Meadow, which celebrates Virginia’s racing history and the Meadow’s history of producing champions.

Live Thoroughbred Horse Racing Returns to Colonial Downs on August 8

Richmond, VA – July 1, 2019 – At a ceremonial ribbon cutting, Colonial Downs Group announced today that Rosie’s Gaming Emporium is now open in Richmond, Va. Rosie’s Richmond features 700 historical horse racing (HHR) machines, simulcast horse racing, restaurant and bar, and gift shop.

Aaron Gomes, chief operating officer of Colonial Downs Group, stated, “It is very exciting to be opening our third Rosie’s in Virginia. We are already seeing tremendous success in New Kent at Colonial Downs and in Vinton. The Richmond location builds on our commitment to create hundreds of jobs and generate significant tax revenues across the Commonwealth by bringing together gaming enthusiasts, horse lovers and the community to experience an exciting and fun activity.”

The revenues generated through HHR machines will enable the return of live thoroughbred horse racing to Virginia. The first day of live racing at the Colonial Downs track will be August 8. The Virginia Oaks & Virginia Derby will both return on August 31.

John Marshall, executive vice president of Colonial Downs Group, added, “Momentum is building at the track in New Kent as we are now only six weeks away from the revival of horse racing and the equine industry in Virginia. We are excited to welcome fans and show off the best turf track in North America with 15 days of top-quality racing featuring some of the best thoroughbred horses from around the country.”

Rosie’s in Richmond will be open weekdays 8 am to 2 am, and weekends 8 am to 4 am.

In addition to Richmond, New Kent and Vinton, Rosie’s will open in Hampton in the fall of 2019 with other locations to follow. Rosie’s will generate $25 million in state taxes annually and create 900 jobs statewide.

The Jockeys’ Guild and the Virginia HBPA have reached an agreement on a mount fee schedule for races to be run at Colonial Downs beginning with their opening day, August 8, 2019.

The mount fee schedule calls for a minimum fee of $125, the highest in the mid-Atlantic area. Racing is returning to Virginia for the first time since 2013. Daily purses are expected to average a minimum of $500,000 a day for the 15-day meet with a $1.8 million stakes schedule led by the $250,000 Virginia Derby (Gr. III) on August 31.

The 2019 Colonial Downs meet will be conducted on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from August 8 through September 7.

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Colonial Downs Group (CDG) is pleased to announce Stephanie Wisneski has been named general manager of Rosie’s Gaming Emporium at Colonial Downs in New Kent County.

Wisneski had been Director of Compliance for CDG since October 2018. Prior to that Stephanie was the Compliance Manager for Miami Valley Gaming and Racing in Lebanon, Ohio. Stephanie has more than a dozen years of gaming management experience at operations in Ohio, Indiana and Florida.

“Stephanie has shown great leadership and industry knowledge since joining our group last year. We are extremely pleased to elevate her responsibilities to manage all of our New Kent Rosie’s operations,” said John Marshall, CDG executive vice president. “We like to promote from within our team whenever possible, which should be encouraging to the more than 700 people who have joined our Virginia operations.”

“I am extremely pleased to have this opportunity and look forward to having daily interactions with our terrific customers in New Kent,” said Wisneski. “We already have a great team in place and are attracting large crowds at Rosie’s, especially on weekends.”

Wisneski attended Purdue University Northwest and earned her degree from Ivy Tech College.

Other Options Available at Various Price Points for Racing Fans

Tickets on Sale This Weekend

Colonial Downs is pleased to announce families are welcome as it offers free general admission to everyone during its upcoming 15-day race meeting, August 8 – September 7. Other seating options are available as tickets go on sale this weekend.

Racing will run on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays during the month-long period. Gates open at 4 p.m. ET and post time for all race days is 5 p.m. ET. The highlight of the racing season will be on Saturday, August 31 with the return of the highly anticipated Virginia Oaks and Virginia Derby races. Flat racing is coming back to its Virginia roots for the first time since 2013, with an approximate $7.5 million in total purses.

“Interest in the horse community and among fans is growing exponentially as we quickly approach August 8, and the return of thoroughbred racing to Colonial Downs,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President of Racing Operations. “We are already getting calls about ticket sales. It has been so long since we had live racing in the area fans are chomping at the bit to get their tickets!”

General admission will provide apron access with track and paddock-side viewing, covered bench seating and access to the Paddock Bar and Homestretch Hospitality tent. Additionally, Colonial Downs will offer clubhouse dining, clubhouse boxes, turf club dining and turf club suites at prices ranging from $5 per person to higher levels for full-season seats and suites. A full listing of all available options and prices, as well as advance ticket sales, is located at www.colonialdowns.com.

“We have been working every day to rejuvenate North America’s most sought after turf course and prepare to reintroduce Virginians to the excitement of horse racing on August 8,” said John Marshall, Executive Vice President of Colonial Downs Group. “The level of enthusiasm is building at the track, across Virginia’s horse community and among horse racing lovers and followers around the country. The comeback of Colonial Downs is arguably one of the most positive developments the industry has experienced in recent times. We are going to provide an entertainment experience like no one has ever seen at Colonial Downs.”

Tickets Go on Sale Saturday, June 15th

Colonial Downs Group is very pleased to announce the first major concert event to be hosted at the New Kent racetrack since new owners re-opened the facility this year. Acclaimed country band Old Dominion, which just went #1 on the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase charts with its current single “Make It Sweet”, will perform in concert at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 1 during the Labor Day holiday weekend. Tickets, which will be available online only at www.colonialdowns.com, beginning June 15 at 10:00 a.m., will start at $50.

“We are thrilled to have signed a top rated and highly popular band for our very first concert at the new Colonial Downs,” said Aaron Gomes, chief operating officer of Colonial Downs Group. “Colonial Downs is proud to be a Virginia first organization, and Old Dominion – as their name alludes – is a perfect fit for our inaugural concert.  We promised that we would bring more than premier thoroughbred horse racing and an exciting new form of gaming to New Kent County and we are delivering on that promise with this concert.” The concert will follow Virginia’s biggest day of thoroughbred racing at Colonial Downs with the Virginia Oaks and Virginia Derby both running on August 31.

Old Dominion has just released the new song “Some People Do.” Band frontman Matthew Ramsey says about the song, “We pushed ourselves to be more raw and vulnerable with our songwriting on this album. It’s a side of us we haven’t shown as blatantly on our other projects. ‘Some People Do’ is very emotional and personal.” Old Dominion is in the midst of a concert tour with several sold-out arena shows. Last month, Old Dominion won “Group of the year” at the 54^th Annual ACM Awards. The award marks the band’s second consecutive win in the category and third ACM award overall.

Colonial Downs previously announced its 2019 thoroughbred horse racing schedule, with the first race set for August 8. This season will include $1.8 million in stakes purses as flat racing returns to Virginia for the first time since 2013. Racing will be conducted on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with a 5:00 p.m. post time for all races, unless otherwise announced.  All racing information is posted online at https://www.colonialdowns.com/racing/.