Summer is a busy time for people affiliated with thoroughbred and steeplechase racing in Virginia. Colonial Downs is in the midst of a 10-week thoroughbred meet in historic New Kent and plays host to race programs every Wednesday thru Saturday until September 13. Here’s a wide-ranging look at some of the participants involved in the sport.
The Steeplechase Steward
Thoroughbred horse trainer Woodberry Payne has had a lifelong interest in steeplechase racing, as a trainer initially and now as a steward — a position he has held for 17 years. He beams when he talks about the summer season at Colonial Downs since it features a trio of jump races on many Thursdays. Purses range from between $40,000 – $60,000 and all the races are available to wager at the track and around the country via simulcast.
“The purse structure is top shelf especially with maiden races at a $60,000 level,” he said. “It has created interest and enthusiasm. Combine that with the great stakes program for fillies and it fills a certain spot in the market that Colonial holds uniquely, just like their Turf Festival in August and the new Virginia Derby card in March.”
In all, there will be 18 sanctioned races over jumps, one flat race featuring jumpers and a pair of $100,000 steeplechase stakes. “We’ve got a great program going,” said Payne. “The Colonial races now provide a near year-round steeplechase program in Virginia. Previously, a trainer had a hard time making it work because things shut down over summer.”
The Horseplayer
Dempsey Young lives in Burke, Virginia, works for All State Insurance, and enjoys the social aspect of playing horses. The 61-year-old began frequenting Colonial Downs’ Turf Club during the track’s inaugural season in 1997 and made acquaintances with a number of attendees early on. Over the years, that circle of friends has become a tightly knit group bound together by the thrill of picking a winner.
Young grew up in Culpeper — horse country — and got his first taste of the thrill at a young age. “I got in the car one day with a good friend of mine and his dad to go to the racetrack. I got to enjoy the races and drink Budweiser at 15 years of age and got hooked from that point. It was a lot of fun. I’m very competitive. I like handicapping because I want to be better than everyone else. I like the thrill of it.”
Stephanie Nixon is part of that horseplayer group. She is in her fourth year as Chairman of the Virginia Racing Commission. She is also a farm owner in nearby Ashland and a former trainer. She is also one of Virginia racing’s biggest fans.
“Dempsey is the leader of the group,” said Nixon. “I’m not the big bettor. He thinks it’s funny when we bet big money. Every time he sees me, he wants to bet $100. ‘Ya gotta to be in it to win it’, he says. I like to bet $2 and if I lose that $2, I get depressed.”
Young recalled a day at Saratoga when he and a friend hit a Pick-5 together for a $44,000 payday. “We have great memories from that day,” said Young. “We were laughing, crying and high fiving each other. You’re very happy when you get the win. It’s fun to be at a track with your friends, having a few adult beverages and just getting crazy. When we get crazy, people around us get excited.”
The Virginia Native — and Now Prominent Trainer
Virginia-born trainer Jonathan Thomas’s 25-horse stable is based in the Colonial Downs backstretch for the first time ever this summer. “We’ve run here but have never actually trained or been stabled here,” he said. “This is an especially good place for 2-year-olds — to bring them along and get them kick started once we feel they are ready. We’ve had luck with horses breaking their maidens later in the meet here and then going on to do better things. We like what we see in the state and want to be supportive.”
Thomas was born in Upperville and stayed in Virginia until he was 16 years old. His training career since then has been impressive. He campaigned 2018 Travers winner Catholic Boy — who earned over $2.1 million — and has trained other graded stakes winners. He currently has strings in Kentucky and California and actually calls the west coast home since he winters there.
“It’s a little bit extra special to be in Virginia this summer,” he said. “I’m happy to play whatever little part I can in helping support racing in the state, which has some amazing history. I’d love to have this same conversation in ten years just to see how much more Virginia racing will have grown.”
The Local Octogenarian Trainer
Henrico, Virginia-based trainer Gary Williams has competed at every Colonial Downs meet since the track opened — 24 in all. His Hagley’s Hero reached the winners circle on the track’s inaugural card back in 1997, and he saddled a horse in the 2025 opener on July 9.
The 85-year-old conditioner is campaigning a string of 14 horses, many of which are Virginia-Certified, and more than he has had in recent years. “As we get more race dates, we get more horses,” he joked. “I have a lot of young ones so don’t really know how they’re going to perform but am always optimistic.”
Williams, who takes winters off now, resides in Key West, Florida during the cold weather months. His farm’s proximity to the New Kent track has its perks. “It’s great when you only have a 30-minute drive to the track instead of 3 1/2 hours like if I had a horse racing in Maryland or West Virginia. I enjoy racing at Colonial. It’s the only place I want to compete at right now because as I get older, it’s harder to go back and forth. The competition is tough here but that’s ok — it’s part of the game.”
The Track Chaplain
Racetrack Chaplain Jay Hurley, who is a pastor at the Samaria Baptist Church in Providence Forge, Virginia, recently began his seventh season at Colonial Downs sharing the love of Christ by ministering to the spiritual, emotional and educational needs of grooms, exercise riders and other backstretch personnel.
Hurley met with his congregation prior to the meet and decided to move forward on a project that is making a difference with those who tend to the hundreds of horses that compete on the grounds. Hurley’s congregation purchased enough personal items to fill 100 hygiene bags with items like deodorant, toothpaste and gender specific goods — which were distributed along with bibles July 11 as part of an outreach program. .
“It’s gratifying to see that an organization like Chaplain Jay’s church can recognize and support the vital contributions these unsung heroes make in the racing industry.” said Aidan Turnage-Barney, Virginia HBPA Field Director.
