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#1
12-17-2018, 09:07 AM
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Colonial Downs
Va racing commission says live racing will return in 2019. Certainly tremendous news. I love that place.
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#3
12-17-2018, 10:32 AM
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When the track announcer called Artie Schiller pulling away and got Kittens Joy’s attention refocused ?
Love how races could get rained off the dirt onto the turf there. Loved the speed bias at the beginning of the meet that changed to strictly closers halfway through the meet. Lots of betbacks and bet againsts there. Twilight racing is cool for after work action for working stiffs. Exciting stuff.
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#5
12-18-2018, 09:35 PM
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Just had a ribbon cutting yesterday at the former Colonial Downs OTB parlor that is re-opening in Vinton, Va. market. This was a shuttered Colonial Downs facility and is now under the new ownership group. Contractors hard at work on the remodel with a late March/early April '19 opening.
They are putting in 150 "Historical Racing Machines" in addition to simulcasting at this location. Does anyone have experiences with these? Being told that the machines do REAL historical races with the names changed but the results the same? If I see "Secretary" racing against "Shim" in a 12 furlong race at Belmont...I'm betting everything I own. Curious if the horseplayers at the Vinton location will be taken care of with tellers, betting machines, WiFi, etc. over the long haul. Colonial Downs OTB was great to the players when it opened 10+ years ago, but it went downhill after about 3 or 4 years of operation. Can't envision it lasting too long if this facility becomes a glorified video gaming parlor with little concern for the folks betting the simulcast product. Fingers will be crossed. The same group opened a place on the Va.-N.C. border in April 2018 that is 100% simulcast and it is very nice with plenty of new tote machines and tellers. Good food and drink, too. Has been busy on each of my visits. I hope the OTB's are a success throughout the state and the live racing comes back strong in 2019. Happy Holidays
__________________
"Are you losing?" - Mrs. Wire "Winning less than planned" - Mr. Wire
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#6
12-19-2018, 06:05 PM
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Oaklawn pioneered historical racing back in 2000. The original machines they used showed a horse race from somewhere in North America, but I think the machines eventually evolved into a device that was more like a conventional slot machine that no longer showed a race. I played them a few times, but I am not much of a slot player so haven't played in a long time or even been to Oaklawn for a while except to reload my internet account.
 I tell myself every year, that I'm going for the live races, but don't go. So much more convenient to play at home, but maybe I'll go this coming year.
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#7
12-20-2018, 08:04 AM
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Cal,
I moved to Arkansas in 2017, for the golf, fishing and Oaklawn. The live meet reminds me of the 70's at Aksarben. The local population goes all out on the big race days, getting crowds of 35,000+ and it's amazing. Lots of good handicappers too. By the end of 2020, Oaklawn will triple it's casino space, and add a hotel and convention center. The Cella group plans to invest 100 million of their own money for this upgrade. They have consistently improved purses, 80,000 purses are common. A really fun track to visit.
__________________
2705 Central Avenue
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#8
12-20-2018, 11:55 AM
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No doubt that historical racing has been good for Oaklawn. It has been interesting to watch it expand every few years from a small area in the grandstand into that big parking lot south of the track and I think it has been good that Charles Cella’s sons are staying involved. I have been a long time observer of things at Oaklawn. I went to my first horse race there in 1968 while a college student in south Arkansas. I moved to Hot Springs in 1976 and I used to attend the races a lot, but haven’t gone in recent years, but maybe I need to change that. I am alone now with three dogs. I talk to them a lot, but so far they haven’t replied. When they do, I will know for sure that I need to get out more.
I hope that the recent vote to have more casinos doesn’t harm Oaklawn. They have had a monopoly on the casino action for most of the state outside the Memphis area where Southland Greyhound Park is the only other racino. Now there will be an Indian casino in Pine Bluff and a couple of casinos in Russellville. Also with the passing of the new law authorizing casinos, Oaklawn will be able to become a full fledged casino with live dealers and such, which I think would be more labor intensive and thus, expensive to operate. So far, everything has been electronic or video gaming.
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