Meet new Colonial Downs Seasonal Dirt Track Superintendent Roy Smith — who was coaxed of retirement after he and his wife relocated to Providence Forge, VA — of all places ironically — from Indiana. Yes, that Providence Forge which is just four miles down the road from Colonial Downs. “The world works in strange ways,” […]
Author: Darrell Wood
Virginia-Certified Standardbred Call Me Goo Gains Millionaire Status at The Meadowlands
By Frank Cotolo, for Meadowlands Media Relations (Lisa photo) How about two Virginia-Certified harness horses reaching millionaire status within two weeks of each other! Three-year-old colt pacer Louprint became the very first Virginia-Certified million dollar earning standardbred June 14 after capturing the Pepsi North American Cup then on June 28, 5-year-old trotting mare Call Me […]
Camels, Ostriches & Zebras to Take the Track On First Friday at Colonial Downs
Central Virginia personalities will race exotic animals on Friday, July 11 between live thoroughbred racing; Kids and guests can meet and pet the animals prior to racing~ On Friday, July 11—the first Friday of the 2025 summer meet—Colonial Downs will welcome some very unusual competitors as camels, ostriches, and zebras compete in live races at […]
Colonial Downs Barn Area Opens & Training Begins; 41-Day Summer Meet Set to Kick Off July 9
The Colonial Downs stable area opened June 23rd and training will begin two days later on Wednesday June 25 as preparations continue for a ten-week thoroughbred meet in New Kent — the longest in years — which begins July 9 and continues thru September 13. A four-day race week will be in place this meet […]
Virginia Horsemen Incentive Programs Mirror Rise of Racing Dates & Purse Monies
The Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) is riding a wave of momentum as the state’s horse racing scene continues to grow, triggered by the success of Historical Horse Racing wagering handle at seven different Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums spread across the Commonwealth. That success has led to 44 days of racing at Colonial Downs in 2025, up from […]
Shenandoah Downs Spring Season Concludes; “By The Numbers” Meet Review
Shenandoah Downs recently completed the spring portion of its “Ten Years of Racing in Woodstock” campaign for 2025 which featured a seven-week spring meet that ran from April 26 – June 8. The season was highlighted by a slate of Virginia Breeder’s Fund 3-year-old divisional championships for pacers and trotters of both sexes who competed […]
Virginia Breeder’s 3-Year-Old Championships Highlight Shenandoah Downs Closing Weekend Festivities
Shenandoah Downs closes out its 2025 spring meet with a pair of 12-race cards this weekend highlighted by a 4-pack of Virginia Breeder’s 3-Year-Old Championship bouts and a tight race for top trainer honors that should go right down to the wire. Post time is 3:05 PM Saturday and 1:05 PM on Sunday. Cary Grady’s […]
Shenandoah Downs’ Kentucky Derby Day Festivities Feature a Special Post Time of 3:05 PM
Shenandoah Downs will celebrate Kentucky Derby Day this Saturday May 3rd with a party that features wagering on the entire card from Churchill Downs, a Fancy Hat contest, mint juleps, live music, a free handicapping contest and a special mid-afternoon harness start time. The first of ten live harness races will go to post at 3:05 […]
Shenandoah Downs Celebrates Ten Years of Pari-Mutuel Harness Racing in 2025
Shenandoah Downs raises the curtain on its tenth season of pari-mutuel harness racing in Woodstock on April 26 and a 7-week spring campaign will continue every Saturday and Sunday afternoon through June 8. Later in the year, a 7-week fall season will extend from September 13 – October 26 and a 4-day non-wagering County Fair […]
Longtime Virginia Harness Horseman Tom Davis Passes Away at 66 Years of Age
Longtime Virginia Harness Horseman Tom Davis Passes Away at 66 Years of Age Longtime harness horse owner and Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA) Board member Thomas Allen “Tom” Davis, Sr., 66, husband of Cherron Fletcher Davis, passed away peacefully on March 7, 2025, at his home in New Church, Virginia. Born on November 22, 1958, […]
