Byrne joins Colonial Downs as VP of racing

Jill Byrne, the veteran racing broadcaster and racing executive, has been hired by Colonial Downs in New Kent, Va., as vice president of racing, according to the track.

Byrne, who has spent the last two years as senior director of industry relations for Breeders’ Cup Ltd., will be responsible for industry relations, simulcasting operations at Colonial’s off-track betting locations, live racing operations at the track, and marketing duties to horsemen and bettors, Colonial said.

Colonial Downs is scheduled to reopen this fall after being closed for the past six years. The track plans to hold 15 days of live racing beginning Aug. 8 and stretching into early September.

“Jill is the perfect addition to help our team market racing opportunities to horsemen, demonstrate wagering value to handicappers and establish Colonial Downs’s elite boutique meet,” said John Marshall, senior vice president of the company that owns the track and its off-track betting parlors.

“Jill’s innate ability to cultivate interest in horseracing in such a genuine way is unmatched.”

Purses at the track are expected to be subsidized by revenue from devices similar to slot machines that were authorized by the state’s legislature last year. The devices will be installed at Colonial and up to 10 other sites in the state, with the first of the machines expected to begin taking bets this spring.

Byrne was the director of broadcast and programming for Churchill Downs for 10 years prior to working at Breeders’ Cup. She was also a host, racing analyst, and reporter for TVG prior to that. She is a Virginia native.

“I’m excited for this fantastic opportunity to join the Colonial Downs Group and be part of the return of horse racing to my home state of Virginia,” Byrne said in a release.