Alumni Engagement Events
[PAST EVENT] Virtual Colonial Downs: Talk with the Trainers
Location
ZoomAccess & Features
- Registration/RSVP
Join W&M alumni, parents, family and friends to hear from Ferris Allen '73 and Curtis Payne '80 live from Colonial Downs in New Kent, VA. Ferris and Curtis will speak about their lives as race horse trainers and answer your questions about their careers and the racing industry.
About the trainers:
Ferris Allen III '73
He is in his 29th season as 2nd baseman for the Baltimore Baseball Club, an "old man" team that competes in national tournaments.
During his career, he has amassed nearly 2,200 victories, including many training titles. He is Colonial Downs all time leading trainer. His best runners include Preakness starter Miracle Wood, Fritchie winner Passiagiata, Palette Knife, and Bert Allen Stakes winner Deputy Fling. From 1997-2011, he logged 15 consecutive years of 1,000,000 plus in purse earnings.
Ferris is a 1969 graduate of Varina High School and W&M class of 1973 with a Major in Government along with lasting memories of his time as the second baseman for the Tribe varsity baseball team. Upon graduation, Ferris returned to his High School Alma Mater to coach and teach. Three years later, Ferris was presented an opportunity to train race horses, and he has been successfully doing that ever since.
Curtis Beale Payne '80
Curtis is a 1975 graduate of the Woodberry Academy and W&M Class of 1980 with a Major in Chemistry. Those of us who know Curtis prefer to call him by his nickname Wood, a shortened version of his high school Alma Mater.
Wood currently resides in Charlottesville, but will be present at the prestigious Saratoga meet in upstate New York as well as at Colonial Downs. He will be both entering horses and serving as one of the official steeplechase judges at the meets.
Wood has been training race horses since 1991, during which time he has started runners in over 1200 races earning over $1 million in earnings. In 2009, Wood's horses amassed over $150,000 in earnings.
Arguably, Wood's most successful horse was one that he also owned: Cap'n Raymond, who finished in-the-money 15 out of 39 starts in a 6 year career amassing almost $150,000 in lifetime earnings.
Contact
Tim von Stetten '16 | [[tevonstetten]]