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Top Trainers Showing Early ‘Enthusiasm’ For Colonial Downs Meet

Following the opening of the barn area earlier this week, anticipation is running high for the 2021 race meeting at Colonial Downs, exemplified by the widespread participation of horsemen across the Middle Atlantic, Northeast, and Midwestern regions; and attracted by a strong average daily purse structure of $500,000 per day.

For its 21-day meeting beginning Monday, July 19 — with all races televised on TVG — some of the nation's top stakes-winning trainers are scheduled to participate, including Ferris Allen, Bret Calhoun, Ignacio Correas, John Kimmel, Michelle Lovell, Graham Motion, John Ortiz, Dale Romans, Dallas Stewart, Mike Stidham, Michael Trombetta and Brendan Walsh.

“It's extremely gratifying to witness the overall enthusiasm and interest from these top trainers for this year's meeting,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs Vice President of Racing Operations. “We are proud to further our goal of maintaining a first-class racing and a stabling program, and to ensure that the highest standards of safety and integrity are administered for our horsemen and fans.”

“We have a great mixture of horses and outfits from all over,” added Racing Secretary Allison DeLuca. “We have a lot of Kentucky people and some from Florida. I think the competition might be tougher. I'm hoping we'll run more dirt races this year. Some people get it in their head there's only turf here, so I hope we can get some more dirt participation.”

Dallas Stewart has nominated 5-year-old Chess Chief for the $100,000 Bert Allen Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race over the Secretariat turf course for Virginia bred/Virginia restricted runners on the opening day program. Owned by the Estate of James Coleman Jr., Chess Chief, a Virginia-bred son of Into Mischief, won the New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) at the Fair Grounds in March, and finished fifth in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) last time out at Churchill Downs.
“The plan for Chess Chief is to use the Bert Allen Stakes as a prep for the Pacific Classic,” said Stewart, “But plans can also change based on how the horse performs.”

Stewart, who will be based at Colonial for the first time, plans to have 20 horses in the Colonial backstretch by opening day and five are on the grounds already. Among his contingent is the 3-year-old Macho Uno colt, Shadow Matter, who he plans to run in the Housebuster Overnight Handicap July 20.

“We're excited about the meet,” he said. “Jill Byrne [Colonial Downs' Vice President of Racing Operations] recruited us and some other stables from Churchill Downs since their backstretch is closing for the summer. The racing is going to be good. We have a race in mind for every horse coming to Virginia, so we look forward to having a solid meet.”

Also nominated for the Bert Allen Stakes is the Romans-trained Attachment Rate, third in Keeneland's Commonwealth Stakes (G3), and Virginia-sired Mr. Buff, a winner of 11 stakes in New York and more than $1.3 million for trainer John Kimmel.

Mike Stidham, leading trainer at Colonial's 2019 and abbreviated 2020 meet, plans to have between eight and 10 horses rotating in and out of his barn including David Ross's Palio, who scored a maiden special weight win at New Kent last summer. Palio also is nominated to the Bert Allen Stakes. Ross, who races under the stable name DAARS, Inc., is the all-time leading owner at Colonial Downs.

“I train for David, and he likes to focus on the Colonial meet and race as many of his horses as he can during that time,” said Stidham, who had a Grade I win earlier this year with Mystic Guide in the Dubai World Cup. “The meet here is always fun.”

Colonial's all-time leading trainer Ferris Allen, a Varina, Virginia native, returns with 30 stalls. “I always target the Colonial meet,” he said. “The level of competition is going to better than it ever has. Nobody knows the lay of the land here as well as me, so hopefully that will be a help to us.”

“We built a loyal following of owners and handled their horses at Colonial over the years,” said Allen. “But after being closed for six years, those folks weren't at the doorstep waiting for you when Colonial reopened in 2019. People had to move on so that first year back was like re-establishing a network. Last year, we planned to take a step forward, but the pandemic prevented that. So this year is almost like year one again in re-establishing that base.”

The highlight of the stakes calendar will be the $250,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby (G3) for 3-year-olds and the $150,000 Virginia Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, both at 1 1/8-miles on Aug. 31.

In addition to the minimum daily $500,000 purse structure, there will be added incentives for horsemen at Colonial, including:

All owners who start a horse at Colonial Downs will receive the greater of $1,000 or their share of the purse money from the race.
All trainers will receive $300 per horse started.
Colonial Downs will offer free horse transportation originating from Fair Hill Training Center.

Colonial Downs is pleased to extend a $15 donation per starter to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), which will be matched by the VHBPA.

“It is our privilege to present a race meet of this caliber symbolizing the long-term potential for horse racing in Virginia,” said John Marshall, Executive Vice President, Operations, Colonial Downs Group. “Fans on-track can expect a high level of service and quality despite economic challenges raised following the pandemic. Fans on-line and off-site can expect the highest level of wagering quality during our early week and early day time period. We have all long awaited this day and are thrilled it has finally arrived at full capacity.”

The Colonial Downs meet will continue through September 1 with racing every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 1:45 PM.

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Colonial Downs Planning Secretariat Fans Day On Aug. 30

As preparations continue for the third season of Thoroughbred racing at Colonial Downs under the ownership of the Colonial Downs Group, another group began initial prep work for an upcoming event at the New Kent track, and it has strong ties to Colonial's signature racing surface — the Secretariat Turf Course.

Kate Tweedy, daughter of Penny Chenery Tweedy — who owned the great Secretariat — visited the track last week from her nearby home in Ashland, Virginia to begin planning a Secretariat Fans Day at Colonial Downs on August 30. The celebration will take place the day before the Virginia Derby and include a silent auction, guest celebrities and other aspects to benefit the Secretariat Foundation.

Once her meeting prep was complete, Tweedy ventured out onto the massive turf course with a big smile on her face and inspected the plush green racing surface.

“I've always loved Virginia,” she said. “I relocated from Colorado to Ashland three years ago to develop a place where we can share Secretariat's memorabilia and history and to celebrate his legacy. To have Colonial Downs back open again with this great turf course named after him is just icing on the cake.”

The foaling shed and barns at Meadow Farm in Doswell — located several miles from Ashland — are still in place and the site is on the National Register of Historic Places.

“I used to come to Virgnia as a kid and have fond memories of being at my father's farm in Doswell,” said Tweedy. “There's that emotional pull of course. And Ashland is a beautiful retirement town. Next year would have been Mom's 100th birthday and Riva Ridge's 50th anniversary of his Kentucky Derby and Belmont wins. And 2023 will be the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's Triple Crown season. I love being part of the Virginia story and coming full circle.”

Tweedy's connection to horses began as a young child growing up in the suburbs of Denver. She had a horse, belonged to pony clubs and competed in pony shows in her youth. Every August, she would visit her grandparent's house in New York and would attend races at Saratoga and Belmont. She saw her share of races long before Secretariat and Riva Ridge competed. Decades later, she is preparing to honor the legacy of both as landmark anniversaries approach. “It's a mystique that has been with me my whole life.”

Tweedy is a writer by trade, has penned two racing-oriented books to date and is working on a third. Along with co-author Leanne Meadows Ladin, “Secretariat's Meadow” and “Riva Ridge, Penny's First Champion” have already been published. She is currently working on a mother-daughter memoir.

“It's going to be Mom's story,” she said. “So many people looked up to her as a breaker of glass ceilings and an icon of determination and strength at a time when women were struggling to gain a foothold. I'm a member of the family and an appreciator of the racing history that my granddad and mom put together.

I never could have imagined that he'd still have this kind of drawing power,” said Tweedy as she spoke of Secretariat. “I think at the time we were blown away by what he did, but we also suspected the future may have something special in store. People who saw him race are aging, but the Disney movie (released in 2010) helped create a whole new group of fans. It's a legacy we were unbelievably lucky to have. His Belmont Stakes win is one of the greatest sporting events of the 20th century.”

Tweedy witnessed that special 31-length triumph in person and has a vivid recollection of the scene after Secretariat crossed the wire.

“That moment was well beyond what anyone's expectation or dream was,” she recalled. “Everybody was babbling and crying. It was so emotional. Since then, I've added up the times of each Triple Crown winner and Secretariat's is still the fastest by five seconds when you add the three together. I don't think we're ever going to see that mark fall.”

Even with that accomplishment, Tweedy recalls two of his other races she cherishes: “I just loved the Preakness. The move he made in the turn was fabulous. His sheer athletic power in that race was so impressive. And as a two-year-old in the Hopeful, his burst between horses was something I'll never forget. He was blocked by three horses on the rail and in the home stretch there was a momentary opening and he just shot through. You just never see something like that from a two-year-old.”

Tweedy is a big fan of history and since moving to Virginia, she has spent time investigating her family's history and has also reconnected with a less positive angle of it.

“Many of my ancestors were families that had plantations and slave people,” she said. “I'm working with descendants of some of the grooms who worked at The Meadow for my grandfather, who were in fact descendants of people that were enslaved at The Meadow in the previous century. We have a racial reconciliation group that wants to find a way to tell their history. We're linked in a way that I'm a descendant of people who owned The Meadow and they are descendants of people who were enslaved there.”

“It's not a legacy Secretariat descended from,” Tweedy added. “The Chenery's were not involved but the family my granddad married into was along with his great, great aunt.”

As part of the process, Tweedy is hoping to make a video from footage of taped interviews conducted in 2007 with some of the grooms that worked at the Meadow Farm.

“There are some wonderful stories they shared about taking care of Secretariat and traveling around the country in the days of segregation,” noted Tweedy.

Her group also discovered an old graveyard where the enslaved people were buried, and they hope to put a plaque there to recognize them.

This summer in New Kent, Colonial's Secretariat Turf Course will host plenty of action beginning with the July 19 opening day card which features a four-pack of $100,000 stakes — three for Virginia-Restricted horses and one for Virginia-Breds. In all, 21 of the 25 stakes scheduled will be contested on grass, including the New Kent County Virginia Derby card on August 31. The season continues through September 1 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:45 PM (EDT).

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Rick Williams Ready To Enforce ‘Highest Level’ Of Safety Standards At Colonial

When Colonial Downs opens its barn area July 5 and kicks off its summer race meet July 19, Rick Williams will begin his new role as Safety Officer and though there isn't a formal job description that includes his every duty, decades of experience in track operations and regulatory work will certainly come into play.

The new Mid-Atlantic Strategic Plan to Reduce Equine Fatalities lists 23 items that a Safety Officer is responsible for overseeing. The job is to ensure that all activities and practices involving the training and racing of horses at the track meet required safety standards and regulatory guidelines.

Among them are to monitor daily backside activities and practices in the barn area for compliance with therapeutic and race day medication regulations. Another is to make recommendations to track management and regulators to ensure the welfare of horses and riders and the integrity of racing.

Williams' diverse background in the sport made him a natural candidate for the job. Over the years, he has been a groom and jockey agent and has worked front side jobs in photo finish, mutuels, track maintenance and beyond. In the last 15 years of full-time work — he retired in 2012 — he held a regulatory position with both the Ohio and Kentucky Racing Commissions and was involved in the Breed Development Fund of both.

“I learned something at every stop along the way,” said Williams. “In regulatory roles, I served on a lot of committees that addressed rules, safety and medication issues. I really enjoyed that part of it — digging into the rule book and making changes that helped better the game. In Ohio for instance, we came up with a process of reviewing the rule book annually — to take a chapter each year and tear it apart. Of all the things l've done, that aspect made me feel best — the process itself of a project I was working on.”

Before accepting his latest position, Williams wanted to make sure safety of the horse was paramount in his role. Once he received that confirmation from Colonial's VP of Racing Operations, Jill Byrne, he accepted.

“I was familiar with Jill from my time in Kentucky and learned that she is a straight shooter and doesn't waste time beating around the bush. I learned she cares about horses and has absorbed a good horsemanship approach to many things. The business we are in is about the horses and should start and finish there,” he added. “I think the most important thing is to maintain open communication with management, regulators and horsemen. I hope the horsemen look at me as someone trying to enlighten people on the rules, especially those concerning safety. We want the horsemen to enjoy their time here and there are certain things we need to do to maintain that safety aspect. Each day should operate at the highest level of standards, from the way you treat the animals to the way you treat the public.”

“Rick will be another set of eyes, watching horses in the barns, on the track, and reporting to track management with something that may not look up to our standards, the safety and integrity and care of horses and the horsemen that we expect,” said Byrne. “He'll also work with Dr. Caruthers (VRC Equine Medical Director) in assisting her and her veterinary team as well as the stewards and racing office .”

Since retirement from full time work, Williams has taken part-time jobs here and there at places that interest him, and at places he can work with people he respects. One such person is Colonial Downs' Director of Racing Allison DeLuca. A 2019 visit with her at the New Kent track led to a placing judge position at the abbreviated 2020 meet and his new position in 2021.

“Allison is a dear friend and I've worked with her on and off in Kentucky for about 30 years,” said Williams. “When I first saw the layout of Colonial's dirt track and turf course, it was interesting to me and impressive to say the least. I always knew of Virginia's rich foundation of breeding but to see the plant for the first time, it's just a place that needs to host racing. I've been to about every major racetrack in the country and this place is just beautiful.”

Williams grew up in a racing family. His father was born in Oklahoma where he was a third-generation horseman and initially rode at bush tracks in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. He worked his way up to recognized tracks like Oaklawn then moved east and rode at Monmouth and at circuits in Ohio and Florida. In all, he rode for 18 years.

Williams, who turns 68 this year, was born in Long Branch, New Jersey and currently resides in Grove City, Ohio — near the former Beulah Park — his mother's hometown. Although his grandmother wasn't a hands-on horse person, she loved horse racing and ran a restaurant in Grove City. “Whenever I went to get lunch at the restaurant after school, she would throw a Daily Racing Form in front of me and tell me to pick out a daily double before I could order food. It was something I had to do to get lunch.”

Even though he has worked some of racing's premier events like the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Breeders' Cup, Williams paused when asked if he considers himself to be a fan of the sport.

“All I've known from day one is horse racing,” he said. “I do get pumped up at those big events but some of the most memorable races I remember aren't necessarily Derby or Cup races. It could be an every day race where you simply witness something special. Pat Day's ride aboard '92 Derby winner Lil E. Tee in the Jim Beam Stakes at Turfway that year stands out. I remember seeing Ernie Poulos's Black Tie Affair race in Kentucky. He was just a hard knockin' handicap horse who was always well placed. I respect the day-to-day things that go on in racing.”

“Horsemen are 24/7,” continued Williams. “There aren't many jobs in today's world where you have to be as dedicated to your job as someone who works in horse racing. I have great respect for them and have great respect for the game. I consider myself a horseman, but a horseman who believes in the rule book.”

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Jessica Paquette To Handle On-Air Handicapping Duties At Colonial Downs This Summer

When Colonial Downs begins its third season of Thoroughbred racing under the ownership of the Colonial Downs Group on July 19, fans will see a new face on camera who provides selections and insight into each upcoming race from the paddock area.

Jessica Paquette, long time handicapper at Suffolk Downs and most recently Sam Houston, will make her debut in New Kent replacing Merv Huber, who is unable to travel to Colonial Downs this season but will stay on as morning line odds maker and provide guest analysis.

The 36-year-old Lowell, Massachusetts native is excited to be part of the Colonial Downs team, and the track's signature racing surface is a big reason why.

“I've heard the Secretariat Turf Course is the best grass surface in the country, and it's my favorite kind of racing. Being able to talk about beautiful pedigrees on a great grass course just lights my soul on fire. Turf is a much more specific surface than dirt. Some horses will love it and some will only take to that specific course.”

Colonial is known for having large fields that compete on grass, but Paquette seems unfazed by the challenge of picking winners for viewers. “I'm a real pedigree nerd,” she said. “With grass races, you can find horses with hidden turf pedigrees that just jump up and surprise you. I'll provide insights during the paddock show on specific horse flesh I notice. I'm a day-to-day horse person. I'll be getting a sense of the barns on site and watching patterns. I'll be familiarizing myself with the trainer colony. I'll be taking a lot of notes. I think you can stumble across a lot of nice horses that way.”

Growing up, Paquette's parents did not have a background or interest in horses, so her equine passion began with participation in the 'Kids to the Cup' program as a young teenager. She never looked back.

“Once I got involved in 'Kids to the Cup' (KTTC) 25 years ago, it changed my life. It put me on the path to get where I am today. I was a nerdy horse crazy kid back then and I just fell in love with racing during that golden era of the '90's when Silver Charm and Skip Away were racing. It just captivated me. Nothing fills me with as much joy as being at a racetrack and being up close,” she added. “No matter what breed, I love watching all horses turn left.””

From KTTC, she started out as a hotwalker at Rockingham Park, then went on to work as a mutuels clerk and followed that with an internship in the publicity department. After those experiences, she landed another internship at Suffolk Downs and never left. Paquette spent the next 14 years at Suffolk where she rose through the ranks to become Senior VP of Marketing and an on camera personality and handicapper.

Suffolk closed its doors for good in June, 2019 after 84 years in business. Rockingham previously closed in 2016. Both closures hit Paquette hard.

“As a fan, I watched Rockingham close and it was heartbreaking. It was the first place I saw a live horse race. At Suffolk, I was helping run the place so mourning the loss of something I Ioved so much was tough but I had to be professional about it. The day still had to go on. Putting on a public face when your heart is being ripped to pieces was challenging. We sent the old girl off the best way we could,” Paquette added. “The last day was a celebration. I watched the last race from the roof by myself. Those are memories I'll take with me the rest of my life.”

Since Suffolk closed, Paquette served as on camera handicapper for the Sam Houston thoroughbred meet this past winter. In a Covid-pandemic environment, she performed the job remotely, from a studio she set up in her closet. And in March, she became the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation's Director of Communications & the Annual Fund. The position allows her to work from home in the Northern Shore of Massachusetts where she owns two Off Track Thoroughbreds.

What A Trippi, retired now from success in the show ring — which came after collecting 9 wins in 42 starts as a racehorse — occupies some of her home time now along with Puget Sound, who after 84 starts is enjoying time as a “pasture ornament” according to Paquette.

“Those two fill my day every day,” she said. “Aftercare is the most important thing to me. I'm grateful to be in a position to be able to give back professionally. Every good thing in my life has come from horses so giving back means a lot. I think thoroughbreds are the greatest athletes. They can do anything you ask of them, as long as you ask them correctly.” Colonial Downs and the VHBPA contribute $15 each to the TAA for every start during the race meet.

Paquette will arrive in New Kent on July 15 and go on camera from the paddock around 1:30 PM four days later. “After giving my picks remotely, I can't wait to see horses again in person.”

Colonial's season will continue through September 1 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 1:45 PM. The $250,000 New Kent County Virginia Derby (Gr. 3) highlights meet festivities on Tuesday August 31. Paquette not only gets to provide selections for all races held over the 180-foot-wide turf course and 1 1/4 miles dirt track, she gets to work with some of her best friends as well.

“I was in 'Kids to the Cup' with Merv Huber when we were horse crazy wild-eyed children and we've been friends since. Jason Beem (Colonial track announcer) is one of my best friends. And I'm looking forward to working with Jill Byrne (Colonial VP of Racing) who I have so much respect for. She is a pioneer in racing and an inspiration. I'm just really excited for this opportunity,” she added. “When racing in Suffolk ended in 2019, it was easy to think that your best days are behind you when the thing you love most goes away. Not so any more.”

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