Colonial Downs Welcomes Back Live Thoroughbred Racing

When an expected field of 14 lines up behind the Colonial Downs starting gate early in the evening Aug. 8, it will mark the first Thoroughbred race in nearly six years at the New Kent, Va., track.

A total of 107 horses were entered for the opening day card, which will feature 10 races with a first post time of 5 p.m. EDT. While some the more recognizable names in the Mid-Atlantic have horses entered on the first day—trainers Graham Motion, John Servis, Michael Matz, and Arnaud Delacour—there are also big names coming from Kentucky and the East Coast.

Listed among opening day's entries are trainers Wesley Ward, Shug McGaughey, Ben Colebrook, Jonathan Thomas, and Brendan Walsh.

One week out from opening day, Colonial Downs' vice president of racing operations Jill Byrne found herself overseeing a bustling backside as horse vans arrived.

"We've had so much outside interest from horsemen all over the country," Byrne said. "I was just over in the barn area. We've got vans stacked up coming in from Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Ohio, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, you name it. They're coming from everywhere."

Colonial Downs was purchased nearly a year ago, and about $300 million has been invested into it since. The Colonial Downs Group, created to encompass all of Peninsula Pacific's business activities in Virginia after the new ownership was announced, has overseen major renovations on the front and backside of the track, the opening of three Rosie's historical horse racing venues with a fourth slated to open this fall, and has hired over 800 employees.

An average of $500,000 in purses will be paid out during each of the 15 race days.

"This year they're giving away a half-million a day, which is more than double what they used to be able to give away," said Mid-Atlantic conditioner Ferris Allen, the leading trainer at Colonial Downs who has won over 2,100 races since beginning his career in 1974. "Trying to figure out what horses are going to show up, it's mind-boggling trying to figure it out."

Colonial Downs is not only looking to attract horsemen, but also horseplayers. The track will also offer takeout rates among the lowest in the industry with win, place, and show bets at 16% (down from 18%); exacta, trifecta, superfecta, early and late daily doubles, Pick 3, and Pick 4 wagers at 20% (down from 22%); and a promotional industry low 12% on the Pick 5.

"We've done our best to include as many industry constituents as we can to be part of the return of Colonial Downs," said John Marshall, executive vice president of the Colonial Downs Group. "There was one group we were not going to leave out and that is the horseplayer. We wanted this takeout reduction from years past to reflect an attraction to the horseplayer to follow Colonial Downs."

Eight of Thursday's races are scheduled to run on the Secretariat turf course, which is the widest in North America at 180 feet.

"It has this amazing sponge-like bounce to it," Byrne said of the Bermuda grass course, "... You don't see horses dig it up like they would do on regular grass courses."

The day's feature, Race 9, is a $70,000 allowance optional claiming event for 3-year-olds and up sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs on the lawn. Post time is 8:44 p.m.

Live racing at Colonial Downs will be conducted on a Thursday through Saturday basis through Sept. 7, with the meet's highlights—the $250,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3T) and $150,000 Fasig-Tipton Virginia Oaks—scheduled for Aug. 31.