Edward J. Dougherty, then president of
Liberty Bell Park Racetrack, organized
The Colonial, the track's first $100,000 race. The event was created after the track in
Philadelphia failed to secure the
Hambletonian Stakes in the mid-1960s. The Colonial Trot, a one-mile race for three-year-olds, was staged for the first time on September 14, 1968. The Colonials' debut marked a significant addition to Philadelphia's sports schedule.
Stanley Dancer piloted Nevele Pride to victory in the 1968 event. The Colonial's first record was set at 1:59 by Nevele Pride. When Philadelphia's Liberty Bell Park Racetrack went out of business in 1985, the 1986 Colonial Trot was carried over to
Rosecroft Raceway in
Fort Washington, Maryland. The Colonial became a stakes event under the
Hambletonian Society and was considered the first step toward the
Hambletonian Stakes. Following Rosecraft Raceway's withdrawal due to financial difficulties,
Foxboro Park paid $50,000 to host the 28th running of the event. The five-eighths-of-a-mile oval was selected by the Hambletonian Society over Hoosier Park, The Meadows, Pocono, and Meadowlands. Foxboro Park presented The Colonial on April 22, 1995. From 1996 onward, it was relocated to
Woodbine Racetrack in
Toronto, Ontario. The Colonial was resumed in 2007 at
Harrah's Philadelphia after a three-year hiatus. Ahead of the 2013 season, the stakes event was moved from Harrah's Philadelphia to
Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs, with the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association instituting a year-to-year alternation between the two tracks. ==Distances==