Colonial Downs sees slight declines

Colonial Downs completed the longest season in track history last Wednesday,

a 45-day meet that featured five more days and 42 more races than the

record-setting 2007 stand, with declines in total and daily average handle.

The total handle dipped slightly from the $50,508,593 bet last season to

$50,346,446 recorded in 2008. The average daily total handle of $1,118,810 also

declined from the 2007 average of $1,262,689.

Total attendance of 75,046 represented a 6 percent decline from 12 months ago

when the total was 79,859. The average daily attendance was 1,668, off from last season's

1,996 average.

"I'm pleased with a successful year considering the price of gas and overall

economy," Colonial Downs General Manager Iain Woolnough said.

The 11th running of the Virginia Derby (G2) highlighted the season both

on the track and at the windows. The $4,546,756 total handle was the highest in

track history and the 9,061 on hand to see Gio Ponti's (Tale of the Cat)

Virginia Derby win was the largest crowd in the race's history.

The all-time leading jockey and trainer at Colonial Downs notched their

respective titles during the 2008 meeting.

Horacio Karamanos booted home 65 winners to easily annex his fourth riding

title at Colonial Downs. Karamanos also picked up 38 seconds, 32 thirds and

$969,885 in earnings from 236 mounts. Karamanos fell just one win short of his

own single season record for wins. Karamanos has 358 career wins from 1,554

starts at Colonial, well clear of Mario Pino's second-place total of 255.

A. Ferris Allen III picked up his seventh leading trainer title with 30 wins

and $521,200 in purses from 149 starts. Allen demolished his own single-season

wins record, easily topping the 25 winners he saddled in 2007. He also became

the first trainer to win 200 races at Colonial Downs, finishing the 2008 season

with 201 wins over the 12-year history of the New Kent, Virginia, oval.