Colonial Downs facts for kids
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Colonial Downs in 2012
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| Location | New Kent County, Virginia, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 37°29′9.76″N 77°0′20.41″W / 37.4860444°N 77.0056694°W |
| Owned by | Churchill Downs, Inc. |
| Date opened | Initial: 1997–2013 Reestablished: 2019– |
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
| Course type | Flat racing |
| Notable races | Grade III Virginia Derby, Grade I Arlington Million, Grade I Beverly D. Stakes |
Colonial Downs is a famous racetrack in New Kent County, Virginia. It's located between the cities of Richmond and Williamsburg. Here, fast Thoroughbred horses race on a flat track. From 1997 to 2014, it also hosted Standardbred harness racing. The track reopened for thoroughbred races in 2019. Today, Churchill Downs, Inc. owns and runs Colonial Downs.
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Colonial Downs: A Look Back
Colonial Downs first opened its gates on September 1, 1997. On that exciting opening day, over 13,000 people came to watch the races. The track was built in a unique way. It had one of the biggest racing surfaces in the country. However, its main clubhouse was quite small.
For a while, the track was managed by the Maryland Jockey Club. This was part of a special agreement between Virginia and Maryland. Colonial Downs became known for its great summer turf racing. Turf racing means horses run on a grass track.
Racing Changes and Challenges
In 2009, the track planned fewer thoroughbred races. After talking with horse owners, they agreed to hold 40 thoroughbred race days. These races ran from June to August. The track also had harness racing in the fall.
However, Colonial Downs stopped scheduling thoroughbred races in 2013. This was due to disagreements between the track's owners and horsemen's groups. Harness racing also ended the next year. All betting locations connected to the track closed in April 2015.
In November 2015, the Virginia Racing Commission did not approve racing dates for 2016. They felt the track had not shown enough care for the racing industry. A spokesperson for Jacobs Entertainment, Inc. said they had tried everything to keep the track open.
Reopening and New Beginnings
Good news came in April 2018. Virginia passed a new law to help tracks like Colonial Downs. This law allowed special gaming machines, similar to slot machines, at the track. This made it possible for the track to earn more money and reopen.
Weeks later, a group called Revolutionary Racing bought the track. This group later became Colonial Downs Group. Peninsula Pacific Entertainment eventually took full ownership. The track held its first race since 2013 on August 8, 2019.
In 2022, Peninsula Pacific sold most of its properties, including Colonial Downs. Churchill Downs, Inc. became the new owner.
Track Features and Design
Colonial Downs has a few different racing surfaces.
- It has a 10-furlong dirt oval. A furlong is about 200 meters, so this is a long dirt track!
- There is also a 7.5-furlong inner turf oval. This is a grass track inside the dirt one.
- Finally, there's a 9-furlong outer turf oval. This is another grass track, even longer than the inner one.
Exciting Races at Colonial Downs
Colonial Downs used to host an autumn harness racing meet. It was the only 10-furlong track in North America with harness racing. Horses started from a special chute on the backstretch. Harness racing times at Colonial Downs were incredibly fast.
On October 11, 2008, a world record was set there. A trotter named Enough Talk broke the 1:50 barrier. This means it finished the race in 1 minute and 49.3 seconds. It was the first time in harness racing history a horse ran that fast!
Top Races Held Here
Colonial Downs hosts several important races. These are called Graded events. They are ranked by how important and competitive they are.
Grade I Races
- Arlington Million
Grade II Races
- Beverly D. Stakes
- Secretariat Stakes
Grade III Races
- Old Dominion Derby
Road to the Kentucky Derby Prep Race
- Virginia Derby
Past Graded Races
Some graded races used to be held at Colonial Downs. They have since moved to other tracks or changed their status.
- Grade II Colonial Turf Cup (now the Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup at Laurel Park)
- Grade III All Along Stakes (now at Laurel Park)
- Grade III Virginia Oaks (now a listed stakes race at Colonial Downs)
