Va. Governor Ralph Northam has signaled no major problems with a bill that would allow “historical racing” machines – and could reopen Colonial Downs.
The Virginia Senate Wednesday approved historical racing machines, sending the bill – which could reopen Colonial Downs – to the governor for his signature.
The possibility of racing returning to Colonial Downs moved forward today, when the Va. House approved a critical “historical racing” bill.
Colonial Downs has not hosted Thoroughbred racing since 2013, but sources say a deal being discussed could lead to its sale and revitalization.
Nearly two years after identifying Morven Park as the right spot for a Thoroughbred track, Virginia racing interests have pulled the plug and must reassess.
In this open letter, the Old Dominion horsemen’s group (ODTHA) calls on Virginia to allow two different horsemen groups to follow two different paths.
Colonial Downs announced it would sell off the properties of its former OTBs, marking what the company called “the end of an era for Virginia horse racing.”
At its meeting yesterday, the Virginia Racing Commission rejected several Colonial Downs proposals – and made clear it’s fed up with the company and its owner.
Colonial Downs today abandoned its plans for racing in 2015 and sued the state Racing Commission to win recognition of its dissident horsemen’s group.
At issue before the Virginia Racing Commission: Colonial Downs’s proposals to run 1 day of live racing 2015 and 4 in ’16, and its request to reopen 2 OTBs.