Churchill Downs Floods Northern Virginia Residents With The Rose Ads

At the end of February, Nasdaq-listed Churchill Downs Incorporated announced it received approval from the Town of Dumfries to open Phase One of The Rose Gaming Resort (The Rose) with 1,650 historical racing machines (HRMs), 500 more than the original plan. 

The $460-million gaming resort, which was scheduled to open 25 miles south of Dumfries by the end of September, is currently going through the finishing touches as well as aggressive marketing practices aimed at Northern Virginia residents in Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Fauquier, and Stafford counties.

The Largest Historical Horse Racing Location in the Churchill Stable

Residents in the aforementioned counties have been bombarded with TV commercials advertising the upcoming gaming resort that will not offer any standard casino live dealer tables or slot machines but instead will provide house electronic gaming terminals that determine winning spins based on past horse races.

Defying expectations as the state’s freshest premier gaming destination, as narrated in a 15-second ad, the resort will offer “excitement around every corner and over 50,000 square feet of gaming space,” with “more than one way to win.”

According to Churchill’s Q2 earnings presentation, The Rose is right on track to the scheduled opening next month, even though the official date has not been disclosed. 

Churchill hopes the resort will bring in some of the gaming money that Northern Virginia residents are currently spending at Maryland’s MGM National Harbor after traveling across the Potomac River. 

Churchill Downs acquired The Rose development via the $2.5 billion acquisition of Peninsula Pacific Entertainment (P2E) and Colonial Downs Group.

The largest historical horse racing (HHR) location in the Churchill stable will also offer 102 hotel rooms, a parking garage counting 2,540 spaces, eight bars, and restaurants, and over 80 acres of green space – atop the former landfill east of Interstate 95.

Optimistic About Northern Virginia

Churchill Downs’s chief executive officer, Bill Carstanjen, explained that their desire to invest more in The Rose than P2E proves their optimism regarding the Northern Virginia area. 

In 2022, the budget for The Rose was set to $389 million. The figure was subject to an 18% rise to $460 million.

The CEO added they were “on time and on budget” to what was discussed on the last earnings call, also mentioning the increased size of the facility to 1,650 HHR machines and describing the resort as a “massive site.” 

“It’s exciting to see the exterior and interior pieces come together as we approach completion,” he added. 

At the end of last month, Churchill Downs confirmed a $90 million grandstand and pavilion renovation that would bring new amenities to guests in preparation for the 151st edition of the Kentucky Derby next May.