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meet. Colonial Downs was the only 1¼-mile track in North
America with harness racing and features a one turn mile. The horses start from a chute on the backstretch. Harness racing times at Colonial Downs were the fastest in racing. On October 11, 2008, the world trotting record was set during the
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The track requested 25 thoroughbred dates in 2009, down from 45 in 2008. After negotiations with the track's horsemen and the
Commonwealth of Virginia, the track ran 40 thoroughbred dates. The schedule originally ran from June 12 to August 4, 2009, but was later moved up one week. This allowed the
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Until 2005, the track was managed by the
Maryland Jockey Club under a complicated agreement with Virginia and Maryland regulators and the Maryland-Virginia Racing Circuit. The track was fairly successful and offered good summertime turf racing in the traditionally poor three-year-old turf division.
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prior to the opening of the track. The track also struck a deal with
Maryland to stop Maryland racing during the Colonial Downs thoroughbred meet, although this later ended. The tract of land on which the track is built was obtained through an eminent domain suit brought by the State of Virginia
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machines (similar to slot machines) at the track and at off-track betting parlors, in an effort to make it economically viable to reopen the track. Weeks later, the track was purchased by
Revolutionary Racing (later named Colonial Downs Group), a Chicago-based partnership that included gaming
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The track opened on
September 1, 1997. More than 13,000 attended the track on opening day. The track used several unconventional construction and business approaches. They constructed one of the largest tracks in size in the country but built a relatively small clubhouse. They also built
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In
November 2015, Colonial Downs was denied 2016 racing dates by the Virginia Racing Commission. In rendering their decision, commissioners stated that Colonial Downs "displayed callous disregard for the industry" when it surrendered its unlimited racing license in 2014. A spokesman for
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Colonial Downs stopped scheduling thoroughbred racing from 2013, due to a dispute between track management and horsemen's groups. Harness racing ended the following year, and all track-affiliated betting sites were closed in April 2015. The track filed a lawsuit in the
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314:$ 100,000 Patriot Invitational. It was set by Enough Talk. The trotter became the first in harness racing history to break the 1:50 barrier with 1:49.3.
506:"Northam signs legislation aimed at reopening Colonial Downs, ordering 'reasonable limitations on the proliferation of gaming in Virginia'"
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day, June 6. The fall harness meet ran 36 dates, from
September 8 through November 7. The harness meet was timed to end on
631:"Churchill Downs Incorporated completes acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment"
230:. This event consisted of the Colonial Turf Cup and the Virginia Derby from Colonial Downs, the Secretariat Stakes from
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against an
African American/Native American family (Tero Johnson) that had owned the majority of the land since 1863.
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557:"Racing group buys Colonial Downs for more than $ 20 million, promising to revitalize Virginia horse racing"
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In 2022, Peninsula
Pacific sold the bulk of its assets, including Colonial Downs, to Churchill Downs, Inc.
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The track has a 1¼-mile dirt oval, a 7½-furlong inner turf oval and a 1⅛-mile outer turf oval.
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479:"Racing commission rejects Colonial Downs' application to run Thoroughbred races next year"
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between 1997 and 2014, and reopened for thoroughbreds in 2019. It is owned and operated by
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582:"Chesapeake could get 700 slot-style gambling machines if Rosie's Gaming Emporium opens"
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A race on the Secretariat turf course after racing was resumed at Colonial Downs in
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453:"Colonial Downs to lay off 32 remaining employees, shut off-track betting parlors"
607:"Kentucky's Churchill Downs to acquire parent company of Colonial Downs, Rosie's"
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said that all options to keep the track open have been exhausted.
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The following graded stakes were formerly run at Colonial Downs:
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United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
531:"Colonial Downs moves ahead with renovations, hiring staff"
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The track ran two legs of the annual Jacobs Investments
633:(Press release). Churchill Downs, Inc. November 1, 2022
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The following Graded events are held at Colonial Downs
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Buildings and structures in New Kent County, Virginia
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689:Tourist attractions in New Kent County, Virginia
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281:In April 2018, Virginia enacted a law to allow
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382:Baltimore Washington International Turf Cup
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398:(now listed stakes run at Colonial Downs)
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580:Kimberly Pierceall (January 16, 2019).
380:(since 2015, run at Laurel Park now as
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605:Michael Phillips (February 22, 2022).
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477:Hazard, Carol (17 November 2015).
421:Hazard, Carol (13 November 2015).
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555:Moomaw, Graham (April 25, 2018).
529:Ashley Luck (February 26, 2019).
504:Martz, Michael (April 9, 2018).
391:(since 2015, run at Laurel Park)
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694:1997 establishments in Virginia
288:Peninsula Pacific Entertainment
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451:Geiger, Jacob (7 April 2015).
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309:The track featured an autumn
242:track to run live racing on
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276:Jacobs Entertainment, Inc.
679:Sports venues in Virginia
485:. Richmond Times-Dispatch
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267:New Kent County, Virginia
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73:37.4860444°N 77.0056694°W
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674:Horse racing in Virginia
611:Richmond Times-Dispatch
561:Richmond Times-Dispatch
510:Richmond Times-Dispatch
212:History and information
78:37.4860444; -77.0056694
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191:. The track conducted
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207:Churchill Downs, Inc.
93:Churchill Downs, Inc.
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535:The Virginia Gazette
368:Former graded events
104:Reestablished: 2019–
586:The Virginian-Pilot
363:(Formerly GII Race)
297:Physical attributes
228:Grand Slam of Grass
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349:Secretariat Stakes
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269:. August 10, 2019.
236:Breeders' Cup Turf
183:, halfway between
102:Initial: 1997–2013
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378:Colonial Turf Cup
337:Beverly D. Stakes
332:Arlington Million
283:historical racing
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160:Official website]
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189:Williamsburg
179:adjacent to
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113:Thoroughbred
64:77°0′20.41″W
61:37°29′9.76″N
489:17 November
433:14 November
196:flat racing
175:located in
124:Flat racing
120:Course type
99:Date opened
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51:Coordinates
668:Categories
637:2022-12-17
616:2022-06-19
591:2022-06-20
566:2018-04-28
541:2022-12-17
515:2018-04-28
463:2015-11-14
403:References
394:Grade III
387:Grade III
376:Grade II
355:Grade III
250:weekend.
173:racetrack
134:Grade III
109:Race type
343:Grade II
234:and the
185:Richmond
89:Owned by
36:Location
326:Grade I
148:Grade I
141:Grade I
305:Racing
171:is a
491:2015
435:2015
219:OTBs
198:and
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44:U.S.
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