New Book Chronicles Life Of Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop, The First Black Female Trainer In America

A new book detailing life of Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop, the first Black female Thoroughbred trainer to be licensed in the United States, is now available from author Vicky Moon.

Bishop was one of 17 children born to a West Virginia family whose ancestors were enslaved. Sent to live with a nearby childless couple as a toddler, she was indulged with fancy dresses and one mesmerizing pony ride that changed her life. Her love of horses took her to the Charles Town racetrack at age fourteen to work as a groom, hot walker and then trainer, all the time fighting sexism and racial bigotry against a backdrop of the swirling Civil Rights movement.

She prevailed to break barriers, shatter stereotypes and celebrate countless transforming victories in the winner's circle with many wealthy clients. As a single mother after two failed marriages, financial reality forced her to take on extra work in the shipping department at a nearby Doubleday publishing factory. Never wavering in her passion, she returned to the track to train horses at age eighty. And finally, with little fanfare, she was honored for her pioneering accomplishments as the first black woman licensed to train racehorses in the United States.

This never-before-told story brings to life Sylvia's love of horses and demonstrates her resolve and grit in confronting a litany of obstacles. This included the limited opportunity for an education and the precarious odds of getting her fractious Thoroughbred racehorses to the starting gate when factoring in their health and soundness.

Sylvia' s clients included the late Tyson Gilpin, a Virginia native and former president of the Fasig-Tipton sales company. Their biggest victory came in The Iron Horse Mile at Shenandoah Downs on Sept. 4, 1962. Eddie Arcaro presented the trophy as Gilpin and his children gathered in the winner's circle.

Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop made her mark in the alluring sport of kings long before the tennis-playing Williams sisters or Olympic track star Jackie Joyner ever made the evening news. She traveled the half-mile track racing and fairground circuit in Cumberland, Timonium and Hagerstown Maryland, not far from Washington, D.C.

Sylvia Rideoutt Bishop Had A Way With Horses is available on Amazon and autographed hardback books with free postage are available on vickymoon.com.

Moon is a writer, editor and photographer.  She has chronicled the lives of the famous and the not-so-famous, covered major crimes and prominent lives for People Magazine and The Washington Post. She writes a monthly life-in-the-Virginia-countryside column “Over the Moon” for Washington Life magazine. She has reported on hunt balls, steeplechase races, and parties from Palm Beach to Saratoga Springs for Town and Country and Millionaire magazines.

Moon has written about homes and gardens for Veranda and Southern Accents and served as a contributing editor for House and Garden. She appeared on the A&E network's “City Confidential” and served as a producer for Dominick Dunne's “Power, Privilege and Justice.” This is her tenth book, with many of her others involving horses and racing.

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Colonial Downs Opens Fifth Rosie’s Gaming Emporium Location, This Time In Northern Virginia

At a ceremonial outdoor and socially distanced ribbon cutting, Colonial Downs Group announced Jan. 8 that Rosie's Gaming Emporium is now open in Dumfries, Va. Rosie's, located in the Triangle Shopping Plaza convenient to Interstate 95, features 150 slots-like gaming machines, simulcast horse racing, restaurant and bar. At the event, Rosie's displayed its commitment to community by donating $76,500 to five local charities; the Boys and Girls Club of Dumfries, the Prince William County Foundation, Paws for Purple Hearts, Kappa Lambda Chi military fraternity and the Epsilon Sigma Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho sorority.

“It is very exciting to be opening our fifth Rosie's in Virginia,” said Aaron Gomes, chief operating officer of Colonial Downs Group. “The opening of this Rosie's adds to our tremendous success in Virginia and enters us into Northern Virginia. The Dumfries location builds on our commitment to create more than one thousand jobs and generate significant tax revenues across the Commonwealth by bringing together gaming enthusiasts and the community to experience an exciting and fun activity.”

“I am so pleased to be part of the expansion of gaming in Virginia,” said Rick Casagrande, general manager at the Dumfries location. “Our team is fully committed to delivering a fun experience and economic development to the Prince William community.” Casagrande has decades of experience in the gaming industry, most recently at Fitz Casino and Hotel in Mississippi.

Rosie's in Dumfries will be open Sunday – Thursday from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 a.m. It will create more than 100 jobs in Dumfries and generate approximately $705,000 in annual tax revenue for the Town of Dumfries, increasing annual town revenue by approximately 20%.

Colonial Downs Group and its five Rosie's Gaming Emporiums will generate over $32 million in state and local taxes annually and has created upwards of 1,000 jobs statewide with an annual payroll of more than $30 million.

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Colonial Downs Opening 27 With Limited Spectators, Lots Of Interest From Horsemen

Officials of Colonial Downs Group, a subsidiary of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, today announced that its 2020 Thoroughbred meeting would begin on Monday, July 27, with provisions for a limited number of spectators in attendance for the 18-day schedule.

This year's meeting will be conducted on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings, with first post time at 5:30 p.m. ET. The meeting will conclude on Wednesday, Sept. 2. The former schedule has been changed from its original slate of July 23-Aug. 29, with racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings. All races during the meeting will be televised on the TVG Network, with wagering available through TVG.com and other platforms.

Under conditions established in Virginia's Phase 3 reopening plan, which allows for outdoor venues to cap attendance at 1000 spectators, Colonial Downs will plan the following protocols for the nightly meeting:

  • Up to 1000 spectators will be admitted to the outdoor areas of the grandstand and the track apron.
  • All guests will receive temperature checks upon arrival at the facility and a 6-foot social distancing policy will be enforced.
  • Guests are required to wear masks indoors and encouraged outdoors.

“With the advancement into Phase 3 of Virginia's reopening plan, and guidance from state and local health authorities, we are anxious to offer this year's race meeting with limited spectators in a safe and healthful fashion,” said John Marshall, Colonial Downs' Executive Vice President of Operations. “As we continue to monitor the effects of COVID-19, our top priority this meet is protecting the health and safety of our guests, team and racing participants.”

Safety protocols may evolve leading up to and during the race meeting as directed by governmental officials.

Enthusiastic Response from Horsemen

Response from horsemen for the 2020 meeting has been especially strong nationwide, with 90 stall applications for more than 800 stalls received. Among those received are from horsemen based in Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, New York and Virginia. The Colonial Downs stable area will open on Monday, July 13.

The meet Condition Book is now available online at  Colonial Downs. Please contact Racing Secretary, Allison DeLuca at allisondeluca@yahoo.com for any follow-up questions.

The daily purse distribution for this year's meeting will be approximately $340,000 per program due to temporary closure of the four Rosie's Gaming Emporiums and four VA-Horseplay OTBs since mid-March, which resulted in a reduction in historical horse racing and simulcast revenue. Rosie's and four VA-Horseplay locations are currently open for simulcasting.

“Under these difficult circumstances, we couldn't be happier with the enthusiastic response from our horsemen in the number of stall applications received for this month's opening,” said Jill Byrne, Colonial Downs' Vice President of Racing Operations. “Our stable area and dirt and turf courses received rave reviews from horsemen last season, and we look forward to hosting another successful race meet. We also feel our early week racing schedule will provide us with greater visibility to fans wagering around the country.

“We also thank the Virginia HPBA for their cooperation in working with us on adjustments to the purse program during this unprecedented period.”

Last year, under new management, Colonial Downs, which was conducting a race meeting for the first time since 2013, made sweeping improvements to the facility. Those enhancements included upgrades to the irrigation system for its world-renowned Secretariat turf course, renovations to the 1 ¼-mile dirt track, stable area and paddock, receiving and test barns and dormitories and a new jockeys' room kitchen.

Last year, Colonial paid out $614,000 in owner incentive bonuses and $364,300 in trainer bonuses, and in 2020 these popular owner and trainer incentives are back. This year, each owner will receive an $800 per start for any of its horses which do not earn $800 in that race, and each trainer will receive $250 for each time they start a horse. In addition, Colonial Downs and the Virginia HBPA will each pledge a $15 donation for each starter to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA).

“On behalf of the Virginia horsemen, we are delighted to be back racing at Colonial Downs this summer,” said Frank Petramalo, Jr., Executive Director of the Virginia HBPA. “Last year, we got off to a great start, and we're looking forward to building on that success, particularly since we have not had much opportunity to race in the Middle Atlantic during the first part of the season. As important, our horsemen are particularly pleased with the number of races written at the meet for Virginia-bred, Virginia-sired, and Virginia-certified horses, which support our local farms.”

Plentiful Stakes Racing

The 2020 meet will be highlighted by the 18th running of the $200,000 (G3) Virginia Derby on turf for 3-year-olds, and the $100,000 Virginia Oaks for 3-year-old fillies, both now held on Tuesday, Sept. 1. Purses for both races have been reduced by $50,000 each. The $60,000 Rosie's Stakes (2 YO, 5.5F) and $60,000 Kitten's Joy Stakes (2 YO, 1 1/16th miles) will support the Virginia Derby night program. 2019 Rosie's winner Four Wheel Drive went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

A total of eight stakes for Virginia-bred/sired horses will take place over two programs. The Camptown, Nellie Mae Cox and Edward P. Evans will all be contested Wednesday, July 29 while the M. Tyson Gilpin, Brookmeade, Bert Allen, Jamestown and Punch Line will be held on closing night, Sept. 2. Purses for each will be $60,000 except for the Punch Line's, which is $75,000.

A total of 18 overnight races have been dedicated as Virginia restricted, which are open to horses that are either Virginia-bred, sired or certified. Another three restricted overnights are listed as substitute races throughout the meet. Additionally, a four pack of $40,000 restricted handicaps are scheduled — the Van Clief (July 27), Miss Oceana (August 5), William M. Backer (August 5), and Quarter Path Road (August 12). A pair of $40,000 restricted stakes — the White Oak Farms and Hansel — complete that program and will be held July 28.

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