Uploaded April 2014 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Looks like Colonial Downs will no longer be able to offer their circus style meet complete with ostrich racing, camel racing, mascot racing, man against horse racing and fireworks. Oh, did I forget horse racing? Colonial Downs certainly did as the horses are the last thing they want at their overbuilt facility. CD wants to host only 6 days of racing in 2014. If they wanted that in the first place, then all they needed was a half mile track, a few bleachers and a hot dog stand.
Colonial Downs president, Ian Stewart is not being one hundred percent honest about their agenda. Live horse racing cost money and if Colonial Downs was to have it their way, there would be no live racing at all in Virginia. Off-track wagering is where the big profits are and in order for them to conduct business, the Commonwealth of Virginia requires live racing. The Virginia Racing Commission is in charge of making sure the horseman (VHBPA) and the racetrack come to an agreement on these days. Colonial Downs opened in 1997 with the intentions of eventually getting a 50+ day race meet. Instead, it peaked at about 35 days and has been reduced down to 28 days, as of 2013. This year the race track has proposed a 6 day meet in attempt to drastically cut the fat. Live horse racing, the fat, is of no interest to Colonial Downs as it cuts into their off track wagering profits. Understandably they run a business and the goal of any business is to make profits. The problem is that they need horses and horsemen to put on their show. Without horses, there would be no racing and without racing, no wagering on thoroughbred horses in the Commonwealth of Virginia and no Colonial Downs. Virginia horsemen, who make Colonial Downs possible, are not going to be run out of their own town by agreeing to such a pathetic proposal. With 2 days of stakes races, and maybe a weather cancellation, the reality is that local trainers and owners will not even get a chance to race their Virginia bred horses.
Colonial Downs Race Track offered the horsemen 12 DAYS of racing and then, when they did not accept, they offered 6 DAYS of racing. Since Colonial loses money when the doors are open for live racing, it's in their best interest to minimize live racing to what the commission allows. Colonial is required to have a certain amount of live racing days in order to keep off track wagering open. CD has been taking racing days every year in order to keep profits higher. Colonial Downs has never and probably will never be considered a world class track. It is currently irrelevant and obviously is unsustainable since live racing is not the priority of Colonial Downs. The turf course has been worse every year since it opened. It's very hard and lacks "grass" since money for maintaining the course has been cut back. Cut back on watering, fertilizing and reseeding. I know this because I have been on that turf course since the days they started racing on it. There are much better turf courses across North America. Colonial Downs current reputation: "Cheap Turf Track" where you can run your 5k claimers and that is why owners and trainers show up to race.
If you are asking why is Colonial Downs not offering thoroughbred wagering, the answer is: Colonial Downs has offer the horsemen 6 days of live racing. This is unacceptable and totally outrageous, so the horsemen will not agree to those terms. The Virginia Racing Commission, not the horsemen, has shut down wagering until Colonial Downs offers an acceptable amount of racing days that the horsemen can agree on. Ian Stewart put a spin on the story talking about improving Colonial Downs and the quality of the meet. This is just a slick way of trying to make a 6 day meet for out of state horses sound great, while forgetting the local horsemen who made Colonial Downs happen in the first place.
In my opinion, we should have never let it get down to 5 weeks of racing and nothing short of 45 days is acceptable for racing to survive in Virginia. No one cares about high
Chris Crocker Horse Racing Colonial DownsMorning Workout at Colonial Downs Race Track. Keep Virginia Racing Alive!
purses. The only draw, for the horsemen, to Colonial Downs is the cheap turf races. Delaware Park, 3 Pennsylvania tracks and Charles Town offer enough purse money with a legitimate racing meet. Wagering is wagering and even though graded stakes races might draw international attention, Colonial Downs needs a quantity of all classes of horses to fill races so there can be wagering in the first place. The use of the phrase "Quality Racing" means, "Lets have as few racing days as possible so we can cut cost of live racing." That's the truth why Colonial Downs Race Track is closing it's doors the thoroughbred horse racing in Virginia.
Looks like Colonial Downs will no longer be able to offer their circus style meet complete with ostrich racing, camel racing, mascot racing, man against horse racing and fireworks. Oh, did I forget horse racing? Colonial Downs certainly did as the horses are the last thing they want at their overbuilt facility. CD wants to host only 6 days of racing in 2014. If they wanted that in the first place, then all they needed was a half mile track, a few bleachers and a hot dog stand.
Colonial Downs president, Ian Stewart is not being one hundred percent honest about their agenda. Live horse racing cost money and if Colonial Downs was to have it their way, there would be no live racing at all in Virginia. Off-track wagering is where the big profits are and in order for them to conduct business, the Commonwealth of Virginia requires live racing. The Virginia Racing Commission is in charge of making sure the horseman (VHBPA) and the racetrack come to an agreement on these days. Colonial Downs opened in 1997 with the intentions of eventually getting a 50+ day race meet. Instead, it peaked at about 35 days and has been reduced down to 28 days, as of 2013. This year the race track has proposed a 6 day meet in attempt to drastically cut the fat. Live horse racing, the fat, is of no interest to Colonial Downs as it cuts into their off track wagering profits. Understandably they run a business and the goal of any business is to make profits. The problem is that they need horses and horsemen to put on their show. Without horses, there would be no racing and without racing, no wagering on thoroughbred horses in the Commonwealth of Virginia and no Colonial Downs. Virginia horsemen, who make Colonial Downs possible, are not going to be run out of their own town by agreeing to such a pathetic proposal. With 2 days of stakes races, and maybe a weather cancellation, the reality is that local trainers and owners will not even get a chance to race their Virginia bred horses.
Colonial Downs Race Track offered the horsemen 12 DAYS of racing and then, when they did not accept, they offered 6 DAYS of racing. Since Colonial loses money when the doors are open for live racing, it's in their best interest to minimize live racing to what the commission allows. Colonial is required to have a certain amount of live racing days in order to keep off track wagering open. CD has been taking racing days every year in order to keep profits higher. Colonial Downs has never and probably will never be considered a world class track. It is currently irrelevant and obviously is unsustainable since live racing is not the priority of Colonial Downs. The turf course has been worse every year since it opened. It's very hard and lacks "grass" since money for maintaining the course has been cut back. Cut back on watering, fertilizing and reseeding. I know this because I have been on that turf course since the days they started racing on it. There are much better turf courses across North America. Colonial Downs current reputation: "Cheap Turf Track" where you can run your 5k claimers and that is why owners and trainers show up to race.
If you are asking why is Colonial Downs not offering thoroughbred wagering, the answer is: Colonial Downs has offer the horsemen 6 days of live racing. This is unacceptable and totally outrageous, so the horsemen will not agree to those terms. The Virginia Racing Commission, not the horsemen, has shut down wagering until Colonial Downs offers an acceptable amount of racing days that the horsemen can agree on. Ian Stewart put a spin on the story talking about improving Colonial Downs and the quality of the meet. This is just a slick way of trying to make a 6 day meet for out of state horses sound great, while forgetting the local horsemen who made Colonial Downs happen in the first place.
In my opinion, we should have never let it get down to 5 weeks of racing and nothing short of 45 days is acceptable for racing to survive in Virginia. No one cares about high
Chris Crocker Horse Racing Colonial DownsMorning Workout at Colonial Downs Race Track. Keep Virginia Racing Alive!
purses. The only draw, for the horsemen, to Colonial Downs is the cheap turf races. Delaware Park, 3 Pennsylvania tracks and Charles Town offer enough purse money with a legitimate racing meet. Wagering is wagering and even though graded stakes races might draw international attention, Colonial Downs needs a quantity of all classes of horses to fill races so there can be wagering in the first place. The use of the phrase "Quality Racing" means, "Lets have as few racing days as possible so we can cut cost of live racing." That's the truth why Colonial Downs Race Track is closing it's doors the thoroughbred horse racing in Virginia.
