Colonial Downs is set to begin its first season of thoroughbred racing under the ownership of Churchill Downs on Thursday July 13! The 9-week season in New Kent will continue through September 9 with racing every Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 1:30 PM. In preparation for the meet, the stable area opened June 20 and training began June 23. Come opening day, some 850 horses are expected to fill the barn area.
The following pictures are from the week the stable area opened and training began.
NEW KENT, Va. (June 23, 2023) – Horse vans began arriving in earnest as the stable area at Colonial Downs opened June 19 in advance of the New Kent, Va., racetrack’s 2023 season which spans 27 days from Thursday, July 13 through Saturday, September 9.
A record $5.25 million in stakes purses and an average daily purse distribution of $700,000 (includes stakes) ensures the 2023 meet will offer some of the best Thoroughbred racing ever seen in the Commonwealth, topped by the G1 Arlington Million, G1 $500,000 Beverly D., and G2 $500,000 Secretariat Stakes on Saturday, August 12, plus the G3 $500,000 Virginia Derby and $250,000 Virginia Oaks which will highlight the Saturday, September 9 card.
Weekend racing returns for the first time since 2019 with live racing scheduled every Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a first post time of 1:30 p.m.
Colonial Downs again will have a full complement of 850 horses on its backstretch. Among the first horses to arrive were those from the barn of Kelsey Danner, shipping in from Kentucky; Virginia mainstays Karen Godsey, Woodbery Payne and David Bourke; and Angel Rodriguez, arriving from his Florida home base.
“People remember when I was 16 and hotwalking, learning the ropes around here. The quality from what used to be here compared to what is here now is unreal. It is so nice to see bigger outfits, nice quality horses and big stakes race days in New Kent,” said Godsey.
She moved 18 horses in last Wednesday during a rainstorm and has six more to bring, for a total of 24.
“I’m pretty excited about this year. For some reason, I just feel my string has really come around — a lot further along than I thought they’d be at this point. My older horses are pretty talented and the young Virginia-Certified and Virginia-Bred babies have some pretty nice pedigrees to them and think they’re going to do pretty well. I don’t think I have one in the barn that I don’t want to have right now.”
“I have a lot of turf horses and the purses there are great,” added Mark Casse, a member of both the Canadian and American Halls of Fame, who will have a full contingent here for the first time. “Seeing the opportunities there, it just made sense.”
Casse mentioned that he is considering the G1 Arlington Million for Strong Quality who was fifth in the G1 Manhattan at Belmont on June 10.
The first horse on the track June 23 when training began was Payne’s young filly, Wine and Roses. “This is a Vino Rosso who is a first-year stallion and is very popular,” he said. “She is typical of a bigger, rangier type. She is very promising and is owned by the Pewter Stable out of Pennsylvania. They sent her down to Colonial and get her ready. Everybody appreciates how good this facility is for training and prepping horses.”
“Colonial has established its niche in the market and people are following the money,” he added. “You can tell by the stall list on the backside — there’s going to be formidable competition here this year. I think Virginia is on the upswing. I’ve got some solid 2-year-olds in the stable and the Virginia-Certified program is ultimately why I have them based here instead of at other tracks. People want to take advantage of the Certified races.”
Other trainers expected for the 2023 meet include Hall of Fame conditioner Steve Asmussen; Graham Motion, winner of both the 2019 and 2021 editions of the G3 Virginia Derby; last year’s leading trainer Mike Stidham; Jonathan Thomas; Mike Trombetta; and Michelle Lovell.
Colonial has added an Early 50-cent Pick 5 with a fan-friendly 12% takeout to the wagering menu covering the first five flat races daily and a $1 Pick 6 with a 15% takeout which covers the final six races each day.
All races from Colonial Downs can be seen daily on either FanDuel TV or FanDuel Racing. In house, Jason Beem returns for his fifth season at the mic while Kaitlin Free joins the broadcast team as racing analyst and paddock host.
About Colonial Downs
Colonial Downs Racetrack, in New Kent, Virginia, hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – the Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide and on a 1 1/4-mile dirt track, second in length to only the world-famous Belmont Park.
The Colonial Downs Group, which is owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ Global Select Market: CHDN), also operates Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums® in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent, Vinton, and Dumfries which offer innovative historic horseracing (HHR) gaming technology and full card simulcasting as well as Rosie’s Game Room in Collinsville, which features a limited selection of some of their best HHR titles plus full card simulcasting. The 2023 live racing season, which consists of 27 days from July 13 through September 9, is highlighted by the Grade 1 Arlington Million, Grade 1 Beverly D. and Grade 2 Secretariat Stakes on August 12 and the Grade 3 New Kent County Virginia Derby on September 9. The Beverly D. is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win & You’re In” race.
If Approved by Voters this Fall, Rosie’s Gaming Emporium Will Create up to 150 New Well-Paying Jobs in Manassas Park; Generate Millions in New Tax Revenue That Could Bring Down Property Taxes, Help Fund Schools – More Information Can be Found at: www.manassasparkwins.com
Manassas Park, VA – June 22, 2023 – Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), the iconic host of the Kentucky Derby and owner of Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia, and Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums across the Commonwealth, announced today it is collecting signatures to initiate a voter referendum to allow pari-mutuel wagering at a satellite facility in Manassas Park in accordance with the state code of Virginia.
Per Virginia law, localities that have not already approved pari-mutuel wagering require a voter referendum before a pari-mutuel facility can be located in their community. To place a referendum on the ballot, signatures from at least 5% of qualified voters must be submitted to, and certified by, the General Registrar. The local Circuit Court will then officially decree that the referendum will appear on the ballot.
The petition to initiate the signature drive was submitted to the Prince William County Clerk of Circuit Court by Michael Carrera, who has been a resident of Manassas Park for over a decade. Carrera, a government business analyst, is also serving his second term as a member of the Manassas Park City Council. Carrera stated, “I am excited that Churchill Downs has selected the City of Manassas Park for expansion. The major benefit will be increased tax revenues that will assist with additional city services and property tax reduction. Churchill Downs has been a strong community partner across the Commonwealth, and I look forward to welcoming them to Manassas Park”.
Also commenting on the campaign effort, Laura Hampton stated, “As both a city council member and a life-long Manassas Park resident, I am excited by the job growth, the shopping center revitalization, the increase in city tax revenue and other opportunities this nationwide business will offer our city”.
Manassas Park City Council member Darryl Moore stated, “Churchill Downs and Rosie’s Gaming Emporium will bring much needed revenue and create new jobs. I am supportive of their efforts to locate in our city”.
And, Manassas Park City Council member Yesenia Amaya said, “As a councilwoman, I support the implementation of pari-mutuel systems as they promote fair competition, generate revenue for local economies, and provide an engaging and socially interactive form of entertainment.”
Speaking on behalf of Churchill Downs about the beginning of the ballot access effort, Jack Sours, Corporate Vice President of Gaming Operations for CDI in Virginia, noted, “Manassas Park is exactly the kind of Virginia locality in which we look to operate. We want to bring good jobs, new tax revenue and a lot of fun to the city! We look forward to letting Manassas Park residents know more about our company, our facilities and all we can do to help make their community a better place to call home in the months ahead. We also know the city is seeking ways to increase revenues so it can lower property taxes and invest in redevelopment of the downtown area. The revenue we generate can help make that happen and we are committed to making further contributions towards that effort. We are true partners in all the communities in which we operate, and we look forward to playing that same role in Manassas Park if voters give us their approval this November!”
CDI is proposing to locate the Rosie’s in the Manassas Park Shopping Center on Centreville Road. The facility would create up to 150 new well-paying jobs and generate an estimated $1.5 Million + in annual tax revenues for the city. More information about the project can be found at www.manassasparkwins.com
About Churchill Downs Incorporated
Churchill Downs Incorporated (NASDAQ: CHDN) has been creating extraordinary entertainment experiences for nearly 150 years, beginning with the company’s most iconic and enduring asset, the Kentucky Derby. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, CDI has expanded through the development of live and historical racing entertainment venues, the growth of the TwinSpires horse racing online wagering business and the operation and development of regional casino gaming properties. More information is available at http://www.churchilldownsincorporated.com.
About CDI in Virginia
CDI is a proud business operator in Virginia, employing more than 1,000 team members in the Commonwealth and paying over $30 million in annual salaries, wages, and benefits. Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums® in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent, Vinton, Dumfries and Collinsville offer innovative historic horseracing (HHR) gaming technology and full card simulcasting. Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent County hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide and a 11/4-mile dirt track, second in length to only the world-famous Belmont Park.
The Virginia horse industry sends deep condolences to family and friends of Marshall Dowell, 77, who departed this world Thursday, April 27, 2023. He was preceded in death by his father, Claude Melvin Dowell; mother, Mary Elizabeth “Brown” Dowell; and brother, Claude “Melvin” Dowell, Jr.
Marshall is survived by his daughter Kimberly Dowell; son, Marshall Dowell, Jr.; grandchildren, Jacob, Tanner, Fairan, and Georgia; sister-in-law, Madeline Dowell; long-time girlfriend, Cathy; and his faithful road trip companion, Kim.
Marshall grew up in Lakeside (Richmond area) where his tenacious work ethic started. He worked several jobs as a young man, winning trips for top sales contests. He joined the Army where he became a special forces member in Vietnam. His service rendered him several medals. Returning home, he then turned his sights on the automotive business and became a successful car dealer. While in his tenure, he ventured into the Harley-Davidson Community with great success.
His passion then turned to thoroughbred horse racing, where his success was high among his peers. His horse, Scrappy T, was his most successful horse courtesy of a second-place finish in the memorable 2005 Preakness with the help of his trainer, W. “Robbie” Bailes. Overall, Scrappy T earned $645,919 from 17 starts including a win in the Grade 3 Withers Stakes, runner-ups in the Grade 2 Indiana Derby and Grade 3 Discovery Handicap, and a third in the Grade 1 Wood Memorial. Local fans got to see Scrappy T compete in the 2008 Old Nelson Handicap at Colonial Downs.
Another of Marshall’s best horses was Mint Slewlep who bankrolled $174,556. Career highlights for the bay horse included a win in the 2008 Da Hoss Stakes at Colonial and a seventh in the 2007 Preakness. He also competed in the Colonial Turf Cup in New Kent the same year.
Marshall’s Jakey D, winner of $200,000-plus, broke his maiden at Colonial in 2000. The Chimes Band gelding provided 31 top-three finishes from 64 starts.
Marshall’s final win came last October at Charles Town when his Theola Huggins broke her maiden in gate-to-wire fashion.
Overall, Marshall’s horses made 1,014 starts that produced 138 wins, 160 second place finishes and 139 thirds, good for $3,684,802 in purse monies.
Marshall’s life was one of passion, adventure, travel, and overall lust for life. He was loved by many. The family will received friends on Sunday April 30, 2023 at the Mechanicsville Chapel of the Bennett Funeral Home, 8014 Lee-Davis Rd, where services will be held 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Interment will follow in Signal Hill Memorial Park.
Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA) Executive Director Debbie Easter welcomed 2023 Officers and Board members — both new ones and those whose terms had expired — at the most recent VTA Board meeting held at the Warrenton office.
The ’23 slate of Officers includes President Amy Moore of South Gate Farm in Millwood (breeder of early Kentucky Derby favorite Forte), Vice-President Wayne VanSant of Atoka Forge in Middleburg, Treasurer Turner Kobayashi of Audley Farm Equine in Berryville and Past-President Susan Cooney — who recently collected her 300th training win — of Cooney Racing Stables in Delaplane.
Directors represent three different regions in the Commonwealth. New Board members in the Capitol region include Donna Dennehy (Ashland) and Alan Hutchinson (Glen Allen) who join returning members Christine Applegate (Onancock) and Chris Kuhn (Providence Forge). New Board members in the Potomac Region include Wayne Chatfield-Taylor (Front Royal), Diana McClure (Berryville) and Laura Smith (Purcellville), who join returning members Janet de Teran (Boyce), Pat Ramey (Upperville) and Larry Johnson (Bluemont). The Blue Ridge district is represented by newcomers Sara Miller (Charlottesville) and Diane Manning (Keswick) who join returnees Brooke Royster (Gordonsville) and Pat Sheperd (Culpepper).
Ms. Easter thanked outgoing Directors A. Ferris Allen III, James Arrison, Dr. Al Griffin Jr., Ellen Kill Kelly and Robin Mellen along with Past-President Gillian Gordon-Moore for their service and dedication to the VTA.
Secretariat, in the form of a 3,500-pound bronze monument, is racing to his home state of Virginia to kick off the national 50TH anniversary celebration of his immortal Triple Crown of 1973. The “Secretariat Racing Into History” monument by renowned equine artist Jocelyn Russell is traveling over 1,000 miles from the foundry in Oklahoma to the historic town of Ashland, Virginia. At 21 feet long and 11.5 feet tall, this is the largest monument of Secretariat in existence, dramatically illustrating the Virginia-born champion’s larger-than-life presence as an equine athlete and American icon. On April 1, the heroically proportioned artwork will be formally unveiled as the centerpiece of the anniversary celebration.
Ashland has the honor of being the first venue of the multi-state Secretariat 50th anniversary tour due to longstanding ties to the Chenery family. Secretariat’s breeder Christopher Chenery grew up here, attended Randolph-Macon College, and founded nearby Meadow Stable where Secretariat was born in 1970. Penny Chenery took over the farm for her father and managed Secretariat’s spectacular career. Her daughter, author/speaker Kate Chenery Tweedy, lives in Ashland and is carrying on the Secretariat legacy. She is chairing the Secretariat For Virginia Committee to raise the funds to place the Secretariat monument permanently in Ashland.
“Secretariat’s story truly would come full circle if the monument is placed in Ashland,” said Ms. Tweedy. “How fitting it would be to see this happen during this milestone Triple Crown anniversary.”
Here is a preliminary schedule of the festivities on April 1. The day’s activities are FREE.
11 am – 1:30 pm at the Ashland Theatre: a free showing of the Disney film “Secretariat.” Kate Tweedy, who was in the film with her mother, will share her behind-the-scenes experience on the movie set.
2:00 pm at Ashland Town Hall Pavilion: the official unveiling of “Secretariat Racing Into History” monument with local officials, special guests, live music and birthday cake.
2:30 – 5:00 pm at Town Hall and Lawn areas: meet and greet with a Secretariat lookalike horse who is a descendant of “Big Red;” display of the first saddle Secretariat wore at Meadow Stable; kids’ activities and crafts; presentation on sculpting the monument by Jocelyn Russell; videos of Secretariat’s Triple Crown races; tours of the Ashland Museum featuring its Meadow Stable display; sale of Secretariat merchandise; and more.
“Secretariat Racing Into History” will stay in Ashland until late April. Then Ms. Russell and the monument will continue the anniversary tour through the summer. Further details of the tour will be announced by Secretariat.com shortly.
After the anniversary tour, the bronze is expected to return to Ashland as the fund-raising effort by SECVA continues. If fund-raising goals are met, this will be the first and only monument of Secretariat located in his home state. The town of Ashland and Randolph-Macon College have agreed to provide a site on the college campus near the CSX train tracks.
“I have always wanted this second edition of “Secretariat – Racing into History” to come home to Virginia,” said Ms. Russell. “This is literally where his history started.” The first version of the monument was placed in Lexington, Kentucky in 2019.
Donations for the monument are being accepted by the Ashland Museum, a 501c3 non-profit organization. For continuing program updates and additional information, please see www.SecretariatForVirginia.com
The cost of the Secretariat monument is $550,000, including transportation to the site. Installation and landscaping are additional costs, for which the group hopes to obtain in-kind contributions. SECVA is accepting pledges online and donations through the Ashland Museum, also a partner in the project.
If you have any questions on the monument or would like more information on how you can help make this movement to bring Secretariat home to Virginia a reality, please contact us and become part of “Friends of Secretariat for Virginia (SECVA).” You can also join our email list for updates on our progress. We look forward to hearing from you!
The following appeared in drf.com February 18 and was written by Dan Illman. Coffeewithchris is Virginia Certified and spent his residency at Horseshoe Hill Farm in Ashland.
LAUREL, Md. – Coffeewithchris earned his second stakes victory when upsetting odds-on favorite Prince of Jericho in the Miracle Wood for 3-year-olds at one mile on Saturday at Laurel Park.
The Miracle Wood was one of four $100,000 undercard stakes races on the Winter Spectacular program co-headlined by two $250,000 stakes, the Grade 3 General George and Grade 3 Barbara Fritchie.
The Miracle Wood was the third meeting between Coffeewithchris and Prince of Jericho, with Coffeewithchris kicking off the rivalry with a 2 1/2-length win in the Heft traveling seven furlongs on Dec. 30.
Prince of Jericho gained revenge on Coffeewithchris when they met in the Spectacular Bid on Jan. 21. In that race, also at seven furlongs, Prince of Jericho swept by Coffeewithchris on the turn, then drew off to win by four lengths.
“What really screwed me up more in the [Spectacular Bid] was that they canceled a week,” trainer John Salzman Jr. said regarding frigid temperatures that forced local horsemen to adapt their training schedules.
“We had to get him ready off his biggest race of his life getting back to running another big race in three weeks, and that’s hard to do when a horse gives his best effort.”
“I got too confident with him on the turn,” winning rider Jaime Rodriguez said about the Spectacular Bid. “When he made that move, Carol [Cedeno, Prince of Jericho’s jockey] attacked me early.”
It was a different scenario in the rubber match as Coffeewithchris settled just off pacesetter Feeling Woozy through fractions of 23.79 seconds and 46.79 while Prince of Jericho raced in and among horses in midpack.
Rodriguez made the first move with Coffeewithchris, and they took over the lead turning into the long stretch after six furlongs in 1:11.69.
Cedeno wheeled Prince of Jericho to the far outside and seemingly had all the momentum, but Coffeewithchris always had a little bit more.
At the wire, it was Coffeewithchris by 1 1/4 lengths over Prince of Jericho, with Feeling Woozy another 2 1/2 lengths back in third. Then came B West, Riccio, We Dont Need Road, and Seven’s Eleven.
Coffeewithchris completed the distance in 1:37.54 and returned $9.40 as the second choice in the betting.
Salzman told Daily Racing Form earlier this week that he was worried about the distance, and Rodriguez echoed the sentiment.
“I was a little bit,” he said. “I let him break and get comfortable. Today, he surprised me, because I literally asked him, and he responded right away. He never gave up.”
Coffeewithchris was bred in Maryland by Dr. Thomas Rooney. A son of Ride On Curlin, he was purchased by Salzman for $2,000 as a yearling.
“I bought him off Shamrock Farm,” Salzman said. “I saw him, and I liked him, and he wasn’t bringing no money. It scared me when I bought him. For $2,000, I figured he had a broken leg or something. Knock on wood, he’s okay and he’s been very nice for me.”
Coffeewithchris is owned by Salzman in partnership with Fred Wasserloos and Anthony Geruso. He has won 3 of 10 starts and earned $201.850
Trainer Brittany Russell was pleased with Prince of Jericho’s effort.
“Carol said he wasn’t necessarily comfortable down inside,” Russell said. “He was jostled around a bit on the backside. She had to get him out and get him running. He galloped out good.”
The following appeared on the kentuckyderby.com website. The 2023 “Run for the Roses” will be contested May 6 at Churchill Downs. Fans in Virginia can wager the big event at any Rosie’s Gaming Emporium, VA-Horseplay OTB, at the Virginia Gold Cup Races and at Shenandoah Downs, and online via Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com and NYRABts.com.
Fifty years after Virginia-bred Secretariat took the Triple Crown by storm, a champion colt with deep connections to the Old Dominion is the early favorite for the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1). Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) hero Forte is a Kentucky-bred who grew up as a yearling in the Bluegrass. But he spent much of his babyhood at breeder Amy Moore’s South Gate Farm in Virginia, under the care of his accomplished Virginia-bred mother.
That mare, Queen Caroline, was a remarkable first purchase for Moore. A retired attorney with an equestrian background from her formative years, Moore wanted to get involved in racing and breeding. While scouting out fillies at the 2014 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, she came across a lovely daughter of champion Blame, best known for holding off Hall of Famer Zenyatta in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).
The Blame filly was bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm in Virginia, but the geographical connection was not at all what caught Moore’s eye.
“It was happenstance,” Moore said. “I went to Keeneland and looked at yearling fillies. I wanted a filly because I wanted to be able to breed it if I had any success racing it.
“She was the only one on my list that got an A+ for conformation – a really pretty filly.”
Moore purchased her for $170,000 and came up with a clever name. Alluding to both her sire and dam, the stakes-winning Queens Plaza, she was named for a queen who came in for blame…Queen Caroline.
The estranged consort of King George IV, Caroline of Brunswick was caught up in an early 19th-century British royal scandal. They were married when George was still Prince of Wales, but the union was doomed from the start, and they were soon living separate lives. The crisis point came when George acceded to the throne, and he sought to divorce Caroline on the grounds of adultery. She was far more popular than George, however, and his effort failed. Nevertheless, Caroline was still barred from his coronation in July 1821, and she died soon after.
The equine Queen Caroline would turn out much happier.
“She was the first horse of any kind I actually owned,” Moore noted, since in her youthful riding days, she was always on other people’s horses.
Moore chose Michael Matz as her trainer, citing the combination of his horsemanship and proximity at Fair Hill in Maryland. Matz’s highlights in Thoroughbred racing include training 2006 Kentucky Derby legend Barbaro, but his experience goes well back to his days on the show jumping circuit.
“I knew of him, because in my youth I had been a show horse rider at the time he was a Grand Prix rider. I knew him as an excellent horseman,” Moore said. “I wanted to have a horse at Fair Hill, which is a place I can get to and return from in a day’s drive. It’s a nice training facility for a horse – they get turn-out places and woods to go through.”
Under Matz’s tutelage, Queen Caroline became a multiple stakes winner who earned $401,608. She was twice honored as a champion among Virginia-breds, taking top three-year-old filly honors in 2016 and the turf female title in 2017.
Queen Caroline retired after a limited 2018 campaign. Visiting the well-bred Violence in 2019, she delivered a flashy colt with four white feet on February 3, 2020, at the Cowles family’s Gunston Hall Farm near Lexington, Kentucky. There was one other noticeable thing about the newborn.
“He was born with floppy ears,” Moore recalled. “His ears flopped like a puppy! But they straightened out in a few days after he was born.”
Although a first-time mother, Queen Caroline took on her new role like a pro.
“She was a good mother right from the start,” Moore said. “She is a class act!”
Queen Caroline remained at Gunston Hall as she prepared to be bred back to champion Uncle Mo. Thus her colt spent his first couple of months in the Bluegrass, tended by Larmon Cowles and his team.
Once Queen Caroline was safely in foal again, mother and son went home in early May 2020 to South Gate Farm near Millwood, Virginia. Here are Queen Caroline with her colt (left) and their paddock mates, the mare Rose to Fame and her foal (a Cairo Prince colt who would be named Prince of Roses).
The colt was nicknamed “Gaudy” because of his snazzy white socks, but his personality was more introverted than his markings at that stage.
“Before he was weaned, he was quite shy,” Moore revealed. “He tended to hide behind his mother when you went into the stall.
“Once he was weaned, he blossomed. He was bold and very friendly. He liked to be petted and liked to be scratched.”
“Gaudy” enjoyed learning the art of eating carrots, as taught by Moore’s niece, Emily Ellis (pictured above, holding him to get the right angle for his registration photo). He munched on something else too – his paddock buddy’s tail, chewing the end of it right off!
Later that fall, the weanling would bid adieu to his Virginia family and return to Kentucky for the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale. There he was sold for $80,000 as a weanling to Silver Hill, a venture of Eaton Sales impresario Reiley McDonald who operates Athens Woods Farm near Lexington, Kentucky.
McDonald had expected to pay more for the weanling, purchased with a view toward reselling as a yearling. But sire Violence wasn’t that hot a commodity at the time. McDonald noticed that the colt had a bit of a lump on his back, near the tail, but surmised it was just a fatty deposit. Sure enough, that’s all it was, and it gradually went away on its own.
As the yearling developed, he continued to be both handsome and outgoing.
“There’s always one or two of them you get a special feeling for,” McDonald said, and this colt inspired just that kind of inkling.
“He was such a striking horse,” ever the one to catch your eye while driving around the farm.
“He was pretty, almost black, with the white on his face. He was so balanced and leggy that you could tell he was going to grow into a tall horse.”
The colt’s leadership of his paddock mates also set him apart.
“If you happened to be walking through the farm,” McDonald said, “he was always the first to trot over. He wanted to be scratched behind the ear.”
Then the rest of the colts would follow.
“He was ‘the man’ out in the field, the leader. Where he went, they went.”
Under the Eaton banner, the yearling was offered back at Keeneland in September. He brought a little more at $110,000, but that was a bargain considering the hefty sums spent by his high-profile buyers – Mike Repole’s Repole Stable and Vincent Viola’s St. Elias – on other yearlings. Jacob West of West Bloodstock and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher were among the advisory team who found the youngster.
The yet-unnamed colt was sent straightaway to Ocala Stud for his early education. Part of Florida racing lore as the Sunshine State’s oldest operating Thoroughbred nursery, Ocala Stud has ties to several Kentucky Derby winners. Needles, the first Florida-bred to wear the roses in 1956, hailed from the property when it belonged to Dickey Stables. Carry Back (1961) was born, raised, and first trained at Ocala Stud, and both Unbridled (1990) and Street Sense (2007) went to school here.
Forte was a “really nice horse from day one,” Ocala Stud’s David O’Farrell observed. “He was very forward, very early. He always wanted to do more.”
As the curriculum advanced, Forte stood out.
“When he started breezing, he was a cut above the rest,” O’Farrell said. “He was always the head of the class. He was ‘the man.’
“We always felt like he could be a really good horse, from the day he stepped off the van.”
When Pletcher was in town for OBS March, the star pupil was pointed out as one ready to begin his program early in the spring. The juvenile accordingly graduated from Ocala.
Posting his first official work at Pletcher’s Palm Beach Downs base on Apr. 1, 2022, he stretched his legs a quarter-mile in :25.16. He would then receive the honorable name Forte, “strength” in Italian.
Forte proved strong indeed on the racetrack. After romping as the 1-5 favorite in his May 27 debut at Belmont Park, he was a rallying fourth in the Sanford (G3) on a deeper, tiring surface at Saratoga. Forte was back in winning form next time out at the Spa in the Hopeful (G1). In the process, he topped a remarkable all-Eaton graduate trifecta with Gulfport and Blazing Sevens. Forte successfully stretched out to two turns in the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, prevailing in a terrific battle with Loggins, then clinched his Eclipse Award in the Nov. 4 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
Meanwhile, his yearling half-brother was making headlines too. Queen Caroline’s 2021 foal by Uncle Mo turned out to be quite a stunner. Touring the sales ring at Keeneland September, after Forte’s Hopeful victory, he commanded $850,000 from Ocala’s Mayberry Farm. The Uncle Mo youngster is currently limbering up at Mayberry, whose famous graduates include Hall of Famer Zenyatta, 2022 Derby upsetter Rich Strike, and recently crowned Horse of the Year Flightline.
Queen Caroline will meet Flightline himself soon. She’s among the stellar mares booked to the unbeaten champion in his first season at stud. By the first Saturday in May, she could be carrying a half-sibling to the Derby winner.
McDonald is delighted for Repole and Viola.
“I have a lot of respect for both gentlemen,” McDonald said. “I happen to know Vinnie quite well, and it makes it so much fun to see him having so much fun with a one-of-a-kind racehorse.”
Photo credits:
Photos of Forte as a newborn and 10-day-old at Gunston Hall Farm by Larmon Cowles
Photo of Forte running in the field at South Gate Farm by Emily Ellis
Photos of Forte as an older foal and weanling at South Gate Farm by Amy Moore
Photo of Forte winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile by Horsephotos.com
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – February XX, 2023 – The Virginia Equine Alliance – a non-profit, 501 (c) 6 organization that sustains, promotes and expands the horse breeding and horse racing industries in Virginia – has announced Jill Byrne as its new vice president of strategic planning.
“Byrne is a wonderful fit for the role, especially with her decades of experience in the horse racing and breeding industries,” said Jeb Hannum, executive director of the VEA. “From being in the heart of it by exercising horses, to working in strategic communications roles, Byrne has a thorough understanding of the industries.”
The organization will work with Byrne’s depth of industry expertise to further advance the community’s understanding and enthusiasm for horse breeding and racing.
Byrne’s other roles throughout her career have included serving as an on-air personality for TVG, the director of broadcast and programming for Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, the director of industry relations for the Breeders Cup and, most recently, the vice president of racing operations for Colonial Downs here in Virginia.
“I like to say that my career in the industry truly began when I was much younger, growing up on the farm and working with horses, from exercising them to caring for them,” Byrne said. “I am grateful to have had both hands-on experience as well as experience in strategically promoting the industries.”
Raised in Barboursville, Virginia, Byrne grew up on a horse farm with two parents who were both accomplished equestrians. She attended a boarding school near Belmont Park racetrack, and while most students her age may have chosen to spend their weekends differently, Byrne remembers fondly spending weekends with her father at the track.
“My love for the industry began at such a young age, and it has been a part of my life ever since,” Byrne said. “Growing up in Virginia, I have a close connection and passion for the horse breeding and racing industries here.”
Byrne attended the University of Virginia, where she studied history and political science, but her passions led her back to the racetrack. She has worked with many top horses, including Favorite Trick, who eventually became the only other two-year-old horse to win the honor of Eclipse Horse of the Year, aside from the world-renowned Secretariat.
One of Byrne’s passions is thoroughbred aftercare, meaning the care given to thoroughbred racehorses after their racing career is over to ensure a meaningful life beyond the racetrack. Currently, she works with the Virginia Thoroughbred Project based in Montpelier, Virginia.
Byrne says that she is looking forward to promoting and advancing Virginia’s horse breeding and racing industries in her new role with the VEA.
To learn more about the Virginia Equine Alliance and Virginia’s horse racing and breeding industries, please visit www.virginiahorseracing.com.
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About Virginia Equine Alliance
The Virginia Equine Alliance is a non-profit, 501 (c) 6 organization which is comprised of the Virginia Harness Horse Association, the Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, the Virginia Gold Cup Association, and the Virginia Thoroughbred Association. The purpose of the Virginia Equine Alliance is to sustain, promote, and expand the horse breeding and horse racing industries in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Alliance seeks to establish and support new and multiple venues for horse racing in the Commonwealth and to advocate and support legislation, regulations, and rules beneficial to the breeders and owners and trainers of horses (“horsemen”) in the state. The Alliance represents the interests of horsemen at meetings of the Virginia General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Agriculture, the Virginia Racing Commission, racing associations, breeder’s organizations, horsemen’s organizations, and other like groups. The Alliance is committed to increasing public awareness of the economic and environmental importance to the Commonwealth of the horse breeding and horse racing industries
Congratulations to two longtime Virginia horse racing industry employees —- who both started working at the Colonial Downs Off Track Betting Center in Alberta in December, 1997 —- and are still working at Colonial Downs, some 25 years later!
Paulette Coleman and Karen Henson started work the same day that December and neither could have imagined they would still be working together a quarter century later. At the time, pari-mutuel horse racing was still very new to Virginia. Off Track Betting sites first opened in 1996 in Chesapeake and Richmond then the Colonial Downs track itself opened in September, 1997. OTBs on Hampton and Alberta followed shortly after the inaugural meet in New Kent.
Coleman worked four years in Alberta before relocating to manage Colonial’s old Richmond OTB location on Hull Street. She since has managed the former Richmond West Broad Street OTB and the Breakers Sports Grille OTB and even now, serves as Horsemen’s Bookkeeper for the summer thoroughbred meet in addition to her OTB duties. Henson spent 17 years at Alberta and after that location closed, managed the Windmill OTB in Collinsville before transferring to Breakers where she is currently based. She also works at the New Kent track during the summer races.
“I love the customers, the excitement of horse racing, and the big days especially,” said Coleman. “I absolutely love it. It’s in my blood. I’ve enjoyed 25-plus years of making friends. Just the other day, my supervisor said that ‘you know everybody no matter where you go’. Horseplayers travel around so you see many of the same ones at the various sites.”
Henson echoed those same sentiments. “It’s the customers,” she said. “I enjoy the aspect of listening to the customers and forming relationships. We’re just like an extended family. They let us know how they are doing. We genuinely want to know that so we can provide a better experience for them. It’s also a privilege to work the live race meet and hear the horses run, which adds another layer of enjoyment for me. This is so much better than any other job I’ve ever had.”
Because pari-mutuel wagering was still new to Virginians in the late ’90’s, times were different and both ladies have fond memories of those early days in Alberta.
“It was the best of times there,” recalled Coleman. “The place was jumping on the weekends. The betting line was full of tellers, the place was full of customers. It was just a wonderful atmosphere. Racing was new to us so we were surprised at the number of people that already knew how to bet. And then you had locals who wanted to see what it was all about and they wanted to learn how to bet.”
After the initial version of Colonial Downs closed in 2014, Coleman and Henson went on to work elsewhere for a short period of time at Lowe’s and at a propane company respectively. But as soon as the Virginia Equine Alliance opened up a slate of OTBs in 2016, both jumped back into racing without hesitation — in Henrico and Collinsville.
“I missed it,” said Henson. “Horse racing is exciting and fun, especially when you have money in the game and you’re cheering your horse on. We have a lot of longtime players at Breakers but the fun aspect is showing new customers how to play, then watching them build on the knowledge you gave them and what they get from other customers too. It’s neat to see that transition take place.”
“Many people think we don’t want them to win,” added Coleman. “We want them to win. New customers especially think it’s like a casino where they play against the house. We want them to win and bring two or three people back the next time, and have those people bring another two or three back on their next visit to have fun. When you see excitement in their faces from winning, we get excited too. We’re rooting for them. We’ll yell right with them — “come on five, come on five!”
Kentucky Derby prep race season is in full swing now and most every weekend thru mid-April features key stakes races for three-year-old horses, all of whom are battling to secure a spot in the Churchill Downs starting gate on Saturday May 6. Fans can wager the action at either of the two VA-Horseplay OTBs — in Henrico at Breakers Sports Grille (9127 West Broad St) and in Chesapeake at Buckets Bar and Grill (228 North Battlefield Blvd). The six Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums also feature a simulcast area to watch and wager races from up to 20 different tracks daily. Online betting is also available via Twinspires.com, TVG.com, Xpressbet.com and NYRAbets.com.