A day at the races

It was kismet.

During a visit to Colonial Downs racetrack in June, I opened up the program to check out the horses running in the first race.

One name immediately caught my eye: News Flash.

Being a reporter, there was really no way I couldn’t pony up the two bucks — the minimum bet required at Colonial Downs — to bet on it.

Alas, New Flash didn’t win, and my $2 were gone forever.

Well, at least until the next race.

So it goes, especially at the horse track. You win some; you lose some. But as long as you go into it with the right mindset, you can have fun either way.

Colonial Downs, which is located almost 30 miles east of Richmond in New Kent, holds live thoroughbred races from June through Aug. 6 and harness meets from Sept. 12 to Nov. 5.

Hardly the seedy place some might imagine a racetrack to be, Colonial Downs is a gorgeous spot that attracts a steady mix of old timers and families.

Post time is 1 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and 5 p.m. on weekdays. General admission is only $2 (it rises from there, depending on where you want to sit; see box for details), and there’s no dress code — so no Kentucky Derby hats required.

Here’s all you need to know, if you’re planning a day trip to Colonial Downs:

Betting basics
The three main bets are for win, place and show.

Win is obvious — the horse you bet on must cross the finish line first. If you bet a horse to place, it must come in first or second for you to get any money. If you bet it to show, it can come in first, second or third.

Betting a horse to win is your best option if you want to make any real money back. But I usually go with show because there’s a better chance I’ll win something, even if it is only a few bucks. That’s the fun of it. Even if I only make a profit of $2, it’s still exciting because I backed the right horse.

All bets must be placed with cash, so make sure you hit the ATM before your trip.

Set a budget
Go in with an idea of how much you want to spend. It can be easy to get carried away, especially since the minimum bet is only $2. You start betting a few horses in each race and all of a sudden, the day is over and you’re down $50. I try to limit myself to one or two bets per race. But if I start winning, that can always change.

What’s in a name
Now that you know your betting lingo and have a budget, it’s time to pick a horse. As you enter Colonial Downs, buy a program (it’s only $2.50). It lists every horse running in each race and also offers betting tips.

When I bet, it’s all about the superficial. You can look at the stats until the horses come home, or you can employ a few of my favorite tricks:

—Name is everything. Before a race even begins, I thumb through the entire program and see which ones grab my eye. For example, one horse in the eighth race was called Ghost Dancing. Someone obviously has a thing for Patrick Swayze. I do, too, so I bet on the horse.

—If, after looking at all the names, you still don’t have a feeling either way, go with a long shot. They rarely win, but when they do, it’s very exciting and usually brings in good money.

—Always watch the horses as they saddle up in the paddock before a race. Sometimes, I’ll go with one that is particularly feisty or alert. And I’m almost always tempted into betting on a gray horse — they’re so beautiful.

—Find a lucky betting window. This has worked for me. When I bet on New Flash in that first race, I chose a teller who was the spitting image of Colonel Sanders. I won a few races with him, but then my luck ran out.

So I picked a new window.

if you’re going
WHAT: Colonial Downs
WHERE: 10515 Colonial Downs Pkwy, New Kent.
ADMISSION: $2 for general admission (access to first floor and trackside areas); $10 for Jockey Club, a 500-seat dining room on the third floor; $15 for Turf Club, a 120-seat dining room on the fourth floor (business casual dress code); kids 12 and younger get in free. Advance reservations recommended for Jockey and Turf clubs.
PARKING: General parking is free; preferred is $2; valet is $5
INFO: For more information, including race dates, call (804) 966-7223 or visit http://www.colonialdowns.com.