Colonial is rented out

Colonial Downs has been “rented out” Saturday, Sept. 16, with the Virginia racetrack expecting a crowd of about 8,000 people to attend the private function. Normally dark on Saturdays, the racetrack will not race the Friday before and instead have a live card with a post time of 1 p.m. on that Saturday.

Colonial Downs’ publicity director Darrell Wood told harnessracing.com that a local business group has rented the racetrack and has invited 8,000 guests to attend.

“It is the Hospital Corporation of America, which is eight area hospitals, and they have invited their employees and families,” said Wood. “They have an annual event, such as Busch Gardens and other attractions in the area, and they are coming to the track this year. They have rented out the entire facility.”

Wood said he is hoping Colonial Downs’ regular patrons will instead go to nearby off-track locations that Saturday, but those who show up at the track that afternoon won’t be turned away.

“We are racing, simulcasting, it’s a regular race card, but for on-track attendance it is a private function. If anyone comes to the races we are going to send them to the backstretch area where we have an area set up,” said Wood. “We are urging people to wager at our off-track betting centers, online, or if you do come out we have a beautiful barn and rec area in the backstretch that has a patio overlooking the chute. They will actually be able to see the start of the race…so it’s a neat vantage point.”

If the attendance projections of 8,000 hold true, it would come close to a Colonial Downs record. Colonial’s all-time record crowd came on July 4, 1999, the year after the track hosted its first-ever harness meet. The 1998 Breeders Crown card attracted a crowd of about 4,000.

“It will be quite a set-up and that’s why we’re not racing Friday. They’ll be setting up the kid’s play areas, tents, barbeques and all that stuff,” said Wood. “It’s a chance to expose harness racing to a whole new group that ordinarily would not have been here. It’s important enough that we gave up a Friday night.”

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