NEW KENT, Va. (WRIC) — On Tuesday, March 28, the team at New Kent’s Colonial Downs race track set fire to the famous Secretariat Turf Course in preparation for the 2023 horse racing season, which is currently set to begin July 13.

Forget trailblazers — the day was all about “track-blazing.”

Because of Virginia’s burn law, which forbids any open flames before 4 p.m., the Colonial Downs team — in partnership with the New Kent Fire Department — waited until just about 4:01 p.m. to get the blaze going. But within two hours, the flames had charred the old layer of grass. It’s a crucial part of preparing the course’s foundation for the new season.

Spokesperson Dave Zenner explained how the smoky sight and smell signal a fresh season ahead.

“It’s really like the kick start of the year,” Zenner said.

Setting fire to the track happens in lieu of traditional methods like mowing or trimming. This modernized method makes the preparation process quicker and more efficient.

“It allows us to get the top layer, the dead layer of grass off and get it off quickly,” Zenner said. “And it puts nutrients into the soil.”

Hold your horses, the New Kent Fire Department was on standby, ensuring the fire remained on-track. This all as the crew celebrated this new season, marking the 50th anniversary of the course’s namesake — famous Virginia-bred racehorse Secretariat’s — Triple Crown win.

Zenner told 8News that Virginia has always been home to powerhouse racers and this year is no different.

“One of the biggest horses for the Kentucky Derby, by the name of Forté,” Zenner started. “He’s definitely the favorite right now, [he] was Virginia bred.”

The Secretariat turf course also happens to be the widest course in the entire country and it’s right here in central Virginia. Once burned through, crew members will add a fresh layer of dirt. Then shortly after, it’s off to the races.

“When you start seeing those things happen, you really know things are getting close,” Zenner said.

(WOODSTOCK, VA — 3/22/2023) — The first ever spring pari-mutuel harness racing season at Shenandoah Downs — scheduled to begin April 1 and continue thru May 14 — will offer a slate of promotions to lure race fans including a unique “Own a Horse for a Day” promotion on three separate weekends. Twenty-four lucky contestants will vie for a total of $12,000 in purse money during the meet.

Eight “Own a Horse for a Day” fans will be selected at random on the first, third and final weekend in April. Each winner will randomly draw a horse in a specified contest race that day. They will get to spend time in the paddock with their horse, enjoy complimentary lunch and most importantly, keep the purse money their horse earns in a $4,000 race. The popular promotion is sponsored by the Virginia Harness Horse Association.

Two premium giveaway days are planned. Fans that attend opening day festivities will receive a free commemorative Stadium Seat Cushion while those attending the April 22 card will get a free Shenandoah Downs Barbecue Apron. The track’s Mountain Racing Series events — the $25,000 Blue Ridge Open Pace and $25,000 Alleghany Open Trot — will be held April 22 as well.

Small animals will get their moment in the spotlight this spring. A trio of Miniature Horse Races will complement pari-mutuel action on Sunday April 16 while Corgi dogs will battle on the track April 30.

The Shenandoah Valley’s largest Easter Egg Hunt, with 3,000 plastic eggs, will take place Saturday April 8 between races. Additional family entertainment that day will include a magic show, face painting, inflatables, a petting zoo and an appearance by the Easter Bunny.

Regional bands like the Skillbilly’s, the Seven Bends Band, Chad See & The Timber Ridge Band and the Surf Jaguars will perform on the Mountain View Concert Stage on key event afternoons.

The Harness Horse Youth Foundation will host a day camp for fans 12 years of age and older at the Woodstock oval on April 29. Participants will have hands on time with horses in the backstretch beginning with morning training at 8 AM. Cost to attend is $35 — which includes lunch — and is available at hhyf.org.

For the first time ever, Shenandoah Downs will offer wagering on the May 6 Kentucky Derby. The “Run for the Roses” simulcast will follow that day’s live harness race card which begins at a special time of 2:30 PM. The Shenandoah Valley’s largest Fancy Hat Contest will take place between the final harness race and the Derby.

Races will take place every Saturday and Sunday at 1 PM including Easter Sunday and Mothers Day. Parking and admission are always free at Shenandoah Downs. The 7-week April/May session marks the first spring harness meet to be held in Virginia since 1998, when the inaugural standardbred campaign at Colonial Downs in New Kent took place.

The Shenandoah simulcast signal will be streamed on Dish-TV for the first time ever so fans around the country can wager Virginia races at simulcast outlets and online.

Shenandoah Downs is located at the Shenandoah County Fairgrounds at I-81, Exit 283 in Woodstock, halfway between Harrisonburg and Winchester. Complete meet details are available at shenandoahdowns.com.

Churchill Downs Incorporated (“CDI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CHDN) announced Tuesday  appointments in racing leadership for Colonial Downs Racetrack (“Colonial Downs” or the “Racetrack”) in New Kent, Virginia. CDI assumed ownership of Colonial Downs in November 2022, upon completing the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.

Frank Hopf has been appointed Sr. Director of Racing Operations for Colonial Downs where he will oversee all racing operations including mutuels, track surfaces and racing office personnel. Hopf brings 13 years of career experience from Sam Houston Race Park where he served in a variety of leadership roles, most recently as Assistant General Manager. In his new role at Colonial Downs, Hopf will manage the relationship with valued horsemen’s group partners in Virginia, including the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) and the Virginia National Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (Virginia HBPA).

Stanley Shina has been promoted to Racing Secretary at Colonial Downs after previously serving as Assistant Racing Secretary for the Racetrack. Shina has been a staple in the racing industry having served over 40 years in a number of roles as well as 10 years as a trainer. In addition to his promotion at Colonial Downs, Shina will still serve as the Assistant Racing Secretary at Tampa Bay Downs, a position he has filled for 19 years.

“We are extremely excited to announce these qualified appointments as the company focuses on building racing in Virginia and taking it to new heights,” said Gary Palmisano, Executive Director of Racing for CDI. “Frank’s vast experience at Sam Houston make him well-suited for this position at Colonial Downs and we are thrilled to welcome him to the CDI team. Stanley brings a wealth of racing industry knowledge and is certain to thrive in his new role. Frank, Stanley and the entire racing team at Colonial Downs are poised for a successful 2023 meet.”

CDI announced that Colonial Downs’ 2023 meet will include three internationally-renowned Thoroughbred stakes races for the first time: the Arlington Million, Beverly D. Stakes and Secretariat Stakes. Live racing will return to Colonial Downs July 13 to September 9, Thursday through Saturday with free General Admission access.

If you’re looking for a new way to unwind, 2023 may be the year to acquaint yourself with the workings of the fast-paced sport of horse racing. Colonial Downs — home to some of the nation’s largest racetracks — has a new energy, thanks to bigger purses for bettors and the addition of three prestigious thoroughbred races to its calendar. Here is the latest at the track and a primer on how to place your bets.

The 2023 race season, from July 13 through Sept. 9, will be the New Kent County facility’s first under new owners Churchill Downs Inc., also the owners of the Kentucky Derby. The sale was finalized in November  2022 as part of a $2.75 million purchase that also included six Rosie’s Gaming Emporium locations. First opened in 1997, Colonial Downs closed in 2013 and reopened in 2019 under the ownership of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment.The pandemic put a stop to the races in 2020. When the gates reopened, wagers at the track’s Virginia Derby Day in September were at a record-breaking high.

“Virginia has such a rich history of horse racing that’s in its blood,” says Mark Hubbard, a spokesman for Colonial Downs. “It’s such an exciting sport to watch, and it happens very quickly.”

If you’re new to the sport, enthusiasts enjoy sharing betting methods, and race ambassadors walk novices through the betting process. The first step is to purchase a $3 program with stats on the past performance of horses, jockeys and trainers. You may use this data to guide betting, or you can be less scientific, says Darrell Wood, marketing director at Colonial Downs and a longtime race announcer.

“You can bet your lottery numbers, grandkids’ birthdates, the jockey’s colors,” Wood says. “You can bet the horse that poops right before the starting gates!”

Bettors can wager as little as $2 and win in multiple ways. Novice fans could start by placing either a win, place or show bet. The most straightforward is a win, which is betting on the horse most likely to cross the finish line first. To win a place bet, your horse must finish either first or second. You can win cash on a show bet with a first, second or third place finish. Win bets yield the highest prizes, but place bets offer three chances to get lucky. Though wagers can be more complicated and higher stakes, win, place or show is the best place to start, most experts say. The venue expects to offer more than $600,000 in average daily purses this year.

“It’s fun to have a stake in [a] race, the immediacy of going to the window, placing the bet, going down and seeing the horses close up as they get ready to be placed at the gate and take off,” Hubbard adds. “And then watching the race … and finding out the outcome right then and there.”

This racing season, the track will bring three top races to Virginia: the Grade 1 Arlington Million, the Beverly D. Stakes and the Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes. “[The latter,] that’s as big as it gets … on par with the Kentucky Derby,” Wood says.

Secretariat, the namesake of the nationally recognized thoroughbred race event, considered one of the best racehorses of all time, was born in Doswell. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s historic Triple Crown-winning season.

Though betting on races is a thrilling, low-risk hobby for many horse enthusiasts, it can be psychologically damaging and lead to addiction for others. Between 6 and 8 million people in the United States have a compulsive gambling disorder, according to the National Council on Problem Gambling. “The increased visibility of and access to legalized gambling will see that number grow larger,” says Cindi M., a member of Gamblers Anonymous. “Simultaneously, the average age of compulsive gamblers is becoming younger as gambling is readily available via smartphone and computer.”

Apart from races, Colonial Downs also operates two restaurants, Rosie’s Kitchen and 1609, and a whiskey bar. Comedians and musicians provide live entertainment. Admission and parking are free. “You can just come and enjoy watching the horses if you want, at a very affordable cost, and have some food,” Hubbard says. “Additionally, there is a lot of entertainment, which is kind of an added value throughout the year.”