[Needing the Wire]

I apologize in advance for the length of the following post, but I need to "vent" a little. I am disgusted with this dispute and its implications for Horse Racing and Horseplayers in Virginia. Living and playing the horses in the state that bred the winner of the 1973 Triple Crown, we should demand better from the "Corporate Face" of Virginia Racing, Colonial Downs.

The next 16 days is the most exciting time in the Horse Racing industry. Unfortunately, many Horseplayers here in the Commonwealth will be unable to wager and, subsequently, enjoy one of the best moments in sports.

I was a loyal and regular patron the past 8 years at one of the Colonial Downs' OTBs in Vinton, Va. This location has been shuttered since February due to the dispute, and I am actually shocked that Colonial Downs had kept operations running for that long in Vinton and the other affected OTB's. Any patron of a now closed CNL OTB or the actual facility in New Kent should not be surprised by the developments of the past four years, let alone the past four months.

I watched the Vinton OTB open to great reviews and great enthusiasm. The newly constructed building with ample parking and a large C.O. number quickly became a destination for horseplayers of all levels in Southwest Virginia. More importantly, the mix of gambling, a full bar, a good restaurant, and a friendly and attractive staff helped lure the "white collar" crowd and their wallets. I knew several of these "Newbies" and they were successful in all manners of business. The percentage of people (male AND female) in business attire on a Thursday or Friday afternoon at 5PM was 40%. There was solid, customer friendly management and the hours of operation were consistent with all forms of racing. Friday night cards at Hollywood became a "Social Event" and the local Cab company did a great business when those races ended at 1AM. In short, Business was Booming in our little OTB!

Obviously, Colonial Downs could not stand the prosperity. In 2010 there was, in my opinion, a noticeable shift in Colonial's Corporate Philosophy. I believe this shift occurred around the launch/re-launch of CNL's internet wagering platform, EZ Horseplay. I started an EZ Horseplay account in 2011 and enjoyed the convenience of putting some money in the account at the OTB after a good day, and then coming home to play Charlestown or EVD. I stopped depositing in this account 2 weeks after the shutdown due to the loss of Florida tracks. I'm a fan of Tampa and Gulf so.... Thank God for XpressBet!

Over the past 2 or 3 years, I have been asked by many former patrons, "When are they going to just go ahead and shut the doors at that place?" There was no doubt in my mind that CNL wanted most of the OTBs to just go away and let the internet platform generate the revenue. Basically, "To Hell with the Horseplayers and our Employees!" This dispute gave them that opportunity. Since the dispute, the local media has run a few short stories about the "temporary" closure, but those were basically PSA's to keep people from driving to the Vinton location on the first weekend in May or last weekend for the Preakness.

Here are a few things that signaled the beginning of the end.

After the Corporate Philosophy shift in 2010, the position of Manager at the OTB suddenly became a transient position with considerable turnover. Concurrently and expectedly, the excellent Customer Service and Staff Morale went due South. The Security company that would escort you to your vehicle upon request after a "good day/IRS signer" was not retained. Staff hours were cut dramatically, Bartenders were fired for a myriad of reasons, the Kitchen Manager since Opening Day was fired, and the teller pool was cut from 14 to 3. The Hours of Operation dwindled to Thursday through Sunday from 12-7PM. Enjoy that West Coast Racing Somewhere else, I guess. The Housekeeping services were dropped and the bathrooms went from immaculate to embarrassing in less than a month.

The once vibrant Bar, that regularly had customers 4,5, or 6 deep, lost its license to sell liquor after the restaurant was farmed out to several 3rd Party groups in an effort to save on food costs. These groups rarely lasted more than a month. No food sales=No Liquor license here in Virginia. Due to the loss of liquor and quality food, the White Collar Crowd took their appetites, their secretaries, and their $50 Exacta Boxes back to the Downtown Bars. The Bar lost all alcohol in 2012 and the kitchen closed completely soon after. Empty Fast Food bags on the tables were almost as common as losing tickets in the past 18 months. To the final Manager's credit, he did set up a small fridge with sodas and a table of nabs you could purchase for a dollar. Certain Horseplayers sat in their vehicles nursing a "bottle" as they handicapped and would only come back in to use the SAMS and watch the race.

The last year and a half was so depressing at the OTB that I began to understand the Handicapper "stigma" many people on this board reference from time to time. 1 guy yelling for a $0.10 Super during every race at Freehold, and never winning, gets a little sad at a certain point. If a "Newbie" actually visited the location over the past 18 months, I seriously doubt they returned.

The Friday and Saturday crowds since 2012 rarely topped 40 total patron and a random Thursday in the last year may produce a field of 15-20 patrons for the entire day. On the final day of operations, there was a Manager, one teller, and the elderly lady at the front desk who has been selling programs and taking the $1 entry money since Day 1. She smiled and told me as I left that day, "This closing is just temporary. We will be open again in a week!" I didn't have the heart to tell her "No, you won't." I just smiled, agreed, and offered her my help if she went looking for work elsewhere. I think 8 people were there when I left at 5PM.

The manner in which the CNL Corporate Management neglected their OTB facility, its employees, and the Horseplayers that spent their time and money in the Vinton establishment was systematic and absolute. I feel great sympathy for the hourly employees and the Horseplayers who do not have the ability to access an XB or other account.

Colonial Downs is hurting this industry in so many ways. You had AT LEAST 100 "Newbies" to the sport in that one location just 6 years ago, and they spent their money with you, Colonial Downs. I was, or became, friends with many of those people, and at least 95% of those "Newbies" moved on from Horse Racing to something else in the past 4 years due to your Corporate decisions. They were exactly the type of people this Industry so desperately needs as Players and possibly Owners, and you ran them off, Colonial Downs. My only remaining question to Colonial Downs, why did it take you 4 years to execute the "Corporate Plan"? Colonial Downs Management ruined a "great thing" in my little corner of the world, and I doubt if I am alone in those beliefs. My condolences to the Horsemen of Virginia and the Horseplayers of the Commonwealth.


Sorry for the novella and Best of Luck to everyone in the coming weeks!

Sincerely,
Wes