A dispute between Colonial Downs and the group representing about 1,300 horseman and jockeys in Virginia was unable to be resolved at a recent mediation session, causing thoroughbred horse racing at the track and statewide betting on thoroughbred horse racing to remain suspended.
State law says Colonial Downs and the Virginia Horseman’s Benevolent and Protective Association must have a contract in place for the number of thoroughbred racing days at the track in order for the eight off-track betting centers operated by Colonial Downs to accept bets on thoroughbred horse races.
The previous contract expired at the end of January. Without a new contract, racing may not go forward at the track.
Colonial Downs wants six race days, a far cry from the 28 days desired by HBPA.
“Our view is that racing has to improve at Colonial Downs,” said Colonial Downs President Ian Stewart. “We need better horses. Statistics show we’re a third-tier track. That’s not acceptable to us.”
Stewart said the only way to attract better horses is to reduce the number of race days, which will increase the amount of money being bet on individual races. Higher amounts of money being bet on the racing will attract higher quality horses to the track, he said.
He said he wants the track — the only one in Virginia where thoroughbred horse racing takes place — to be a “national player” in the racing industry.
“Six days is what purse money will support right now to give the quality racing we need,” Stewart said. He said the track is prepared to offer opportunities for lower-quality horses to race but that the focus should be on higher quality horses.
The chasm between the six-day figure proposed by Colonial Downs and the 28-day figure proposed by HPBA led the mediator at the mediation session to decide the two sides were too far apart, according to Bernie Hettel, a spokesperson for the Virginia Racing Commission. VRC oversees thoroughbred horse racing in Virginia.
“[The dispute is because of] diametrically opposed philosophical differences on what each side wants,” Hettel said. “You’ve got the horseman who have patronized Colonial Downs for 17 years who want an eight-week race meet, and Colonial Downs wants a six-day race meet. That’s a big, big difference.”
For HBPA, a longer racing season is the only way to ensure horse owners break even.
“It costs about $2,000 a month to keep a horse in training to race,” said HBPA Executive Director Frank Petramalo Jr. “In order to recover that expense let alone make a profit, you want to be able to race your horse as often as possible. During an eight-week meet, if the stars line up right you can race him three to four times. It’s two times during a five-week meet. You’d be lucky to be able to race at all during a six-day meet.”
Petramalo said Colonial Downs is more focused on the profitable off-track betting facilities as opposed to live horse racing at the New Kent County track.
The lack of a contract has caused a delay in the publication of a book highlighting the various races that will take place at the track across the year. Without that book, trainers are unable to prepare their horses to compete, Petramalo said.
“We’ve never been without a contract before,” Petramalo said. “It’s absolutely proving difficult for trainers to get horses into racing shape.”
He said Colonial Downs is more interested in its bottom line than the success of Virginia horse racing.
“The whole purpose [of the law allowing horse racing] was to promote, sustain and grow the native horse industry,” he said. “That’s not Colonial’s goal.”
The two sides will meet again Monday at a regularly scheduled VRC meeting.
“I think all the issues will be placed out on the table,” Hettel said of the meeting, which will take place at Colonial Downs.
Colonial Downs maintains eight satellite wagering locations across the state. Those locations accept bets on both Colonial Downs races — which typically take place in June and July — and races occurring across the country. Without a contract, the satellite locations cannot accept bets on thoroughbred horse races, which is when a jockey sits on the horse and races it in an oval.
The satellite locations may still accept wagers on harness racing, where standardbred horses pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky in which the jockey sits. Two satellite locations in Richmond, one in Chesapeake and one in Hampton remain open to accept harness racing, while locations in Alberta (Brunswick County), Vinton (Roanoke County), Martinsville and Scott County have been closed as of Feb. 1.
Colonial Downs is the only horse tracetrack in Virginia authorized to conduct betting in a pool.
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