Buoyed by a record-breaking handle of more than $6.5 million on New Kent County Virginia Derby Day, Colonial Downs shattered all wagering marks this racing season, the fourth under the management of Colonial Downs Group and ownership of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment
Total handle for the 26-day live racing meet (one card was lost to weather conditions) was $74,940,840 for a daily average of $2,882,340, up more than 29 percent from the 2021 average daily handle mark of $2,231,765 during that season's 21-day session. By further comparison, Thoroughbred racing nationwide is up just 0.24 percent for the year. This race meet marked an all-time wagering high in the history of Colonial Downs.
“The revival of Virginia racing continues to grow as we once again set new all-time handle marks,” said John Marshall, Colonial Downs Group Executive Vice President, Operations. “It is gratifying to see Colonial Downs evolve into one of the nation's elite meets which is what our team set out to accomplish just four years ago. We congratulate all of those who aimed and worked at placing Virginia racing in such an admirable position.”
Purses for the season averaged a Virginia record of $612,000 up from 2021's $521,000 per day in purse distribution. Through August 2022, the national yearly average is $299,000.
“The 2022 Colonial Downs race meet was such a great success on all levels thanks to the support of so many. We are grateful to all the horsemen, patrons, fans and industry stakeholders for being a part of this fabulous summer of racing in Virginia,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President of Racing Operations.
A total of 1,382 individual horses representing 321 trainers made a combined 2,179 starts for the season. Field size averaged 8.35 runners per race compared to the 7.17 national per race average,
Among the trainers stabled on the grounds during the meet included Steve Asmussen, Michelle Lovell, Shug McGaughey, and Graham Motion.
Mike Stidham took home leading trainer honors with 13 victories, two better than Mike Trombetta. Colonial newcomer Larry Rivelli, who moved his stable from Chicago to Virginia for the summer, was next in the standings with nine trips to the post.
The owners' race ended in a dead-heat between David Ross's DARRS, Inc. and R. Larry Johnson each of whom visited the winner's circle on six occasions.
Jevian Toledo won his first Colonial riding crown with 25 victories. Leonel Reyes and Horacio Karamanos tied for second with 18 wins apiece. Notably, three-time Eclipse Award winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. won nine races in the meet's final two days including both the Grade 3, $300,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby aboard Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Robert V. LaPenta, Gainesway Stable, Winchell Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables Capensis and the $200,000 Woodford Reserve Virginia Oaks with Michael Nentwig, Michael Dubb, Beast Mode Racing LLC, John Rochfort, Robert N. Falcone Jr.'s Spirit and Glory.
New for the 2022 meet was a reduced takeout 12 percent Pick 5 wager which for the first time offered a carryover provision. With an $80,000 carryover from the previous day, a record $761,000 in new money was bet into the pool on August 9. For the season, the Pick 5 averaged more than $187,000 per day vs. $102,271 in 2021 (an 83 percent increase).
The season went out with a bang as the final three days of the meet resulted in more than $15 million in all-sources handle with $2,597,728 bet on the Labor Day card Sept. 5, a record $6,512,667 wagered on Virginia Derby Day Sept. 6, and $6,082,926 pushed through the windows closing day Sept. 7.
The post ‘Revival Of Virginia Racing’: Colonial Downs’ 2022 Meet Shatters Wagering Records appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
