Colonial Downs facts for kids
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| Location | New Kent County, Virginia, USA |
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| Coordinates | 37°29′9.76″N 77°0′20.41″W / 37.4860444°N 77.0056694°W |
| Owned by | Colonial Downs Group |
| Date opened | 1997 |
| Race type | Thoroughbred, Harness |
| Course type | Flat racing |
| Notable races | Virginia Derby (G3) |
Colonial Downs is a racetrack in New Kent County, Virginia. It is located right next to Interstate 64, about halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg. The track hosted Thoroughbred (regular horse racing) and Standardbred (harness racing) events from 1997 to 2014. Horse racing returned to the track in 2019. The Colonial Downs Group owns the track.
Contents
About Colonial Downs
How it Started
Colonial Downs first opened its doors on September 1, 1997. More than 13,000 people came to watch the races on the very first day! The track was built and run in some different ways. For example, it has one of the largest track sizes in the country, but its main building for visitors is quite small.
The land for the track was obtained by the State of Virginia. Also, special betting places called Off-Track Betting (OTB) sites were set up before the track even opened. For a while, Colonial Downs even had an agreement with Maryland to stop racing there when Colonial Downs had its thoroughbred races.
For several years, another group called the Maryland Jockey Club helped manage the track. Colonial Downs became known for its good summertime turf (grass) races, especially for three-year-old horses. It also hosted two big races that were part of a special series called the Grand Slam of Grass.
Challenges and Reopening
In 2009, the track asked to have fewer thoroughbred race days. However, after talking with horse owners and Virginia officials, they ended up having 40 race days that year. The harness racing season also ran for 36 days in the fall.
Colonial Downs stopped offering thoroughbred racing after 2013. This was because of a disagreement between the track's owners and the groups representing horse owners and trainers. Harness racing also stopped the next year, and all betting sites connected to the track closed in April 2015.
In November 2015, the Virginia Racing Commission decided not to give Colonial Downs permission for 2016 races. They said the track had "displayed callous disregard for the industry." This made it seem like the track might close for good.
However, things changed in April 2018. Virginia passed a new law that allowed "historical racing machines" at the track. These machines are like slot machines but are based on past horse races. This new law was meant to help the track make enough money to reopen. Weeks later, a group of investors bought the track for over $20 million. This group then formed the Colonial Downs Group, which owns the track today. Colonial Downs held its first race since 2013 on August 8, 2019.
Track Layout
Colonial Downs has a few different tracks:
- A dirt track that is about 1.25 miles long.
- An inner grass track that is about 0.9 miles long.
- An outer grass track that is about 1.125 miles long.
For harness races, horses start from a special area on the back part of the dirt track. This makes it the only harness track in North America where horses race one mile with only one turn.
Types of Races
The track used to have a fall harness racing season. Colonial Downs was the only 1.25-mile track in North America to host harness racing. Because of its unique one-turn mile, harness racing times at Colonial Downs were often very fast.
On October 11, 2008, a world record for trotting horses was set during a $100,000 race called the Patriot Invitational. A trotter named Enough Talk became the first harness horse in history to finish a mile in under 1 minute and 50 seconds, with a time of 1:49.3.
Big Races Held Here
In 2019, Colonial Downs held the following important race:
- Virginia Derby (a Grade III race)
Past Big Races
Some other important races that used to be held at Colonial Downs include:
- Grade 2 Colonial Turf Cup (now run at Laurel Park)
- Grade 3 All Along Stakes (now run at Laurel Park)
- Grade 3 Virginia Oaks (now run at Laurel Park)
