Sadly in Virginia you do not have any other choices for horse racing but I wish I did. It's just okay of a venue. I see a lot of issues here. During my most recent visit a fairly large crowd was present, but I did take that into consideration. But to say the venue was ill prepared. First, colored wrist bands were used for seating sections. As I came into the venue the staff (twice) ran out of certain colors. Causing a decent delay. Second: For some reason the PA system played music just fine but when tips or announcements didn't come through. Third: To gain entrance to the gaming area there was only one entrance. Now I understand security but again thousands for guest were here and wanted to run into the gaming area for who knows what. Maybe to pee, maybe to play the slots or just to get out of the heat. Again just one entrance. Management should have seen this and made a change or even better, should have assumed early since a special event was going on to have set this up days in advance. Fourth: Vending for a time period they ran out of sodas and water. They did fix it but again shouldn't have happened. Fifth: Holy Mud the price of the items. I know they are trying to make a few dollars and I respect that - but it was ridiculous. Professional Baseball or Football game prices. Sixth: This year then have place the benches in general admission area, secured to boards. They have always been mounted to the concrete in the past. Now I do see what they were going for - the ease of moving them, but you don't know how many tripped. Older and younger folks. These are not highlight in yellow paint or nothing. I guess I'll stop here for now. I just saying they could do way better. My assumption due to the lack of competition - management will not consider the changes but I hope I'm wrong. read more

Everything needs improved Cannot really buy a ticket onsite No one knows how to sell you one Downstairs they send you upstairs Upstairs they have one iPad and lots of customers Amazing how disorganized everyone seemed to be. No training at all It will be hard for us to come back read more

We were told by the track admissions that we had to buy four tickets for the jockey club, even though there were only three of us. The buffet was $55 which was very overpriced for only two entrées, hot dog or ribs and barbecue.. their ribs were overcooked to the point of chewy and it was a low-grade food. A very small buffet.. desserts were also with the lowest quality cookies, cupcakes. Appeared that people are coming and going upstairs in the jockey club without any kind of checking or validation so we felt like we were taking advantage of. We did enjoy watching the exotic animals run the ostrich zebra and camels race and that's why we came.. we enjoyed sitting and air-conditioning watching the races and that was the highlight. read more

This place needs help with their outdoor food vendors. How can you be out of majority of non alcoholic drinks, like soda, lemonade, etc. Also went to order a pretzel which had no salt on it and no muster. when asked I got a shrug like "oh well". I said that I should not be paying full price for bread that's all the pretzel was. read more

Always fun to watch racing, but the entire downstairs indoors is the casino, and you have to pay extra to actually get into a racing area indoors and away from the heat. Not great! Also there are not enough tellers, especially on Virginia Derby day. Super long lines to cash vouchers and even lines for betting machines on VA derby day. Also seemed like a bit extra security, but the people are nice read more

It's awesome, amazing, fun. The horses are beautiful. They have a variety of food and everyone is very helpful.

It was a horror show. First was the getting into the track. The website said gates open at 11am. We arrived at 5 minutes before 11. We traveled two and half hours to go. The workers were not prepared at 11am. They were setting up the security barriers at that time which should have been done earlier. They were worried about setting and positioning the fans blowing on them on a cool morning. They finally let us in at 11.10 for a $5 admission because of weinner dog races. Then came we had to get bracelets to get into casino and track. Then we had to get our hand stamped. Seating for a table was $55 per person but we were 3 people which they said you have to pay for 4 people to reserve the table. We saw a lot of 4-seater tables used by 2 people. They only had to pay for 2 people. So for 3 people we paid $220. An extra $55 to sit. It did come with a buffet. It was the worst food I ever had. The ribs were tasteless and dry. There was some kind of chop meat which was greasy. It looked like dog food. They had eggo waffles and some chicken wings mixed in a pan. The waffles outnumbered the wings 4 to 1. The buffet did not include beverages. You had to pay separate for a soda. I had heartburn the rest of the day. The management should be ashamed of themselves. The place is run poorly. I would not recommend anyone to waste their time to visit colonial downs. I give it 0 stars but they wont let me choose so I had to put down 1 star. read more

A fun day was had but all- even with the rain! Unfortunately, no umbrella or backpacks allowed, so plan in advance! Greats views, races, and bevvies! Our family had a blast betting on each race! Would love to come back! read more

Colonial Downs - Horse Racing Near Me - New Kent, Virginia

I am so excited that throughbred racing is back in Virginia! They have done a great job getting the racetrack back into shape. The facility is clean, comfortable, and the racing surface looks great! Colonial Downs has re-opened with a great meet of 15 race dates. I attended opening night tonight, and was impressed. There were big purses and quality horses across the card. There was a good crowd there tonight, and I really hope people continue coming out. Admission and parking are free, so you can't beat that! Grandstand seating starts at only $5, which is also a great value. The only criticisms I have are minor. They set up tents to shield the general admission fans from the sun; unfortunately this blocks the view of the beginning of the front stretch from the grandstand. Also, the light posts for the turf course are for some reason placed in such a way to block key parts of the tote and video board from the grandstand. These seem like oversights, but ones that can be fixed. I will be back for a night of three six-figure stakes races on Saturday, and many more times during this and hopefully subsequent race meets. It is well-worth the hour drive up from Norfolk. This was a great night of fun, not only for a serious horseplayer like myself, but my 8 year-old nephew also had a great time. Their concessions, although basic, are the most fairly-priced I've experienced in decades. $2 for a bottle of water and $3 for a hot dog are beyond reasonable, I pay more than twice that at local minor league baseball and hockey games. Go to the races, you won't regret it! read more

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Darn!! I really wanted to be the first to review and someone beats me to it with a "review" that was just a vent. What a waste. Oh well, consider this the first legitimate review :) We recently went to Colonial Downs on a Sunday afternoon and had a great time. We made the trek up to take advantage of the Sunday 4-Pack, which is 2 programs, four admissions into the track, four hot dogs, and four drinks. They also have coloring books and crayons but the coloring books were a bit too young for my boys. But, still a cool thing for the younger kids. The 4-pack is $18 and if you bought all the things offered in the pack at the individual cost it would be over $30. It's a really great deal and a fun way to spend a few hours on a Sunday afternoon. As for the track, we were impressed with the facility overall. There is plenty of seating in the air conditioned area inside and outside there is both covered and uncovered bleacher seating to enjoy watching the race. On this Sunday afternoon, there was a nice crowd there but we never had to wait more than a couple of minutes to place a bet. They had plenty of open windows to place your bets. Now, my dad likes to get a little exotic with his bets and he said some of the tellers weren't sure what he wanted but that will improve as the season moves on and the newer ones learn the ropes a bit. They also simulcast a number of other national tracks if you want to bet them. As for the horses, I think the quality was pretty good, though I didn't cash many tickets. We didn't eat or drink much but they seemed to have a nice selection of food and drink. The staff seemed to have everything under control and things went smoothly. Granted, it was a Sunday afternoon and I am sure it's a different crowd at the track on Sundays than a weekend night. But, I personally can't complain about any of the amenities or service. They offer more upscale seating options beyond general admission if you don't want to be among the commoners! I am fine with the GA seating mostly but wouldn't mind coming back some time for some of the nicer options. We'll see. I am no horse racing expert but I have been to a few tracks through the years and while this isn't the biggest or the most prestigious, I can certainly say that it is well maintained and appears to be well run. We left very impressed and I personally look forward to getting back again soon. read more

I went to Colonial Downs for Fan Appreciation Day. It was fantastic! I'd give it 5 stars except that I have also been to Kentucky and Saratoga and as enjoyable as Colonial Downs is, it isn't in the same league as the more prominent tracks. But that doesn't reflect badly on Colonial Downs, as it has a more laid back atmosphere, is easily affordable, and is perfect for families, individuals, groups, and anyone who enjoys seeing horses race, placing bets, or getting a small dose of "fairground" without having to wait for the state fair. The prices were very reasonable (of course they are, they expect to make all their money through the betting!). We spent the whole day there and barely felt a twinge in our wallets. Of course Fan Appreciation Day is when a lot of the fees are reduced to 25 cents, but even on regular days the prices are reasonable. The drive from Richmond seemed to take no time at all, definitely an easy journey. I loved Colonial Downs, so glad I went and I'm planning on going back (hopefully often)! read more

We reserved a table in the Turf Club for Saturday, Aug 24th, and it was a great choice! We were able to enjoy our delicious dinner and awesome margaritas indoors, then watch the races from the balcony. Deciphering the racing lingo was the next challenge, but there was plenty of help from the new friends we made and the very patient attendants who processed our bets. LOLOL Before leaving, we went down to the fence to pet the horses and watch a race up close. Overall it was a great experience and I'd definitely recommend it for a fun evening of something different! read more

Um....having no experience at all and not knowing what I'm looking at in the program make sure you you do some research on how the program is setup. read more

Great Horses, really poor service This is a really nice track to watch the races but don't come hungry or thirsty. We were there for the first night of racing and the waiters were literally hiding. Really. They wanted ten dollars for just a table and no food and you had to wear a wristband to get served. But the waiters were hiding according to a manager. What a really rough start or perhaps finish. At least it was for us. Too bad. read more