THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 5, 1996 TAG: 9610050009
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: By ROBIN TRAYWICK WILLIAMS
LENGTH: 91 lines
Two years ago, the Virginia Racing Commission awarded the state's first license for a horse-racing track to Colonial Downs. Since then, progress has been delayed by frivolous lawsuits, opportunistic politicians and short-sighted horsemen who would rather have no racing than racing in New Kent.
Colonial Downs has had the license free and clear only since May. Nevertheless, the past four months have brought a barrage of published criticism, ironically at a time when Colonial Downs has a positive story to tell:
Colonial Downs has survived (twice) a court challenge by an unsuccessful applicant, opened its first satellite wagering facility (SWF), signed a contract with the Maryland Jockey Club for a two-state circuit, cleared the track site, awarded a contract for grandstand steel, begun renovation of a second SWF, spent $7 million and brought in Jeffrey D. Jacobs to quell any doubts about financing the (now) $55 million project.
Colonial Downs has also paid more than $1 million in taxes and contributions to industry accounts. It has created 148 in-state jobs and is doing business with 300 in-state vendors.
What is impressive about all this is that Colonial Downs has reached this point despite the strenuous opposition of a small group of horsemen who have worked openly for failure of the track.
The Virginia Horsemen's Association was formed by some horsemen who were disappointed that the race track was not to be built in Northern Virginia. Their goal is to force Colonial Downs' failure and open the way for James J. Wilson, an unsuccessful applicant who had proposed building the track in Northern Virginia.
Egged on by Wilson, the VHA began an extraordinary campaign to discredit Colonial Downs. Pumping out reams of propaganda, the VHA has deliberately undermined the project at every turn.
Meanwhile, mainstream horsemen in the establishment organizations, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and the Virginia Harness Horse Association, just want to have live racing.
Despite warnings from the commission, Colonial Downs played into the VHA's hands by ceding the field to its critics, enabling them to shape its image as sleazy and no-can-do. Nice guy Arnold Stansley simply kept his head down, ignored the criticism and pressed ahead with the project.
The VHA's opposition has taken on a life of its own, prompting an astonishing wave of criticism from people who are (a) uninformed or (b) have an ax to grind. A sample:
Charge: Colonial Downs will never build the race track. It is not even working on the SWF in Richmond.
Truth: Colonial Downs has awarded a contract for steel for the grandstand. Also, CD will forfeit a $1 million bond if the track is not ready to open in July.
Colonial Downs has spent $1.5 million to purchase the Richmond SWF site.
Charge: Colonial Downs has refused to build the outer turf tack.
Truth: The track layout was redesigned at the request of the jockeys and the horsemen in the interests of safety. The new design still has two turf courses and, with a dirt oval of 1 1/4 miles, will make the facility a very desirable racing center for both standardbreds and thoroughbreds.
Charge: Stansley's track in Texas, Trinity Meadows, is cheap, and Virginia will get the same thing.
Truth: Trinity Meadows was never a model for Virginia. Jacobs has announced CD will spend an additional $15 million to ensure a quality track. The commission has a full-time engineer overseeing construction to ensure that CD builds the upscale facility it proposed.
Charge: Trinity Meadows has failed because of poor management, and with the same management Virginia's track will fail too.
Truth: When the license was awarded, Trinity Meadows was the only track in Texas making money and raising purses. The track closed because the Texas Racing Commission permitted a competing track and SWF to open a few miles away, cutting Trinity's handle in half.
Charge: Colonial Downs will bring slot machines to the track.
Truth: Not without approval of the commission, the General Assembly and the governor. Right now, none of those bodies appears likely to approve slot machines. And this is one commissioner who will never support slot machines.
Charge: Colonial Downs is planning to run only 40 days next year. This proves it only wants simulcasting.
Truth: Short meets are associated with quality (Saratoga, Keeneland, Oak Tree, etc.). Colonial Downs is planning to run a 40-day thoroughbred meet beginning June 15, followed by a full 50-day meet for harness horses.
The law permits a reduced number of racing days during the first five years. As the track becomes established, the meets will lengthen.
As for criticism of the commission, consider that we are the only fully informed, unbiased parties involved with the project. Our goal is to see live racing at a quality track as soon as possible. MEMO: Robin Williams, of Crozier, is one of five members of the Virginia
Racing Commission.
KEYWORDS: HORSE RACING VIRGINIA by CNB