Following up on its successful August card which saw the Charles Town Classic (G2) and Charles Town Oaks (G3) run on the same day for the first time, Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races will once again showcase its two graded stakes on the same program in 2021, following approval by the West Virginia Racing Commission at its Tuesday morning meeting.
The $800,000 Charles Town Classic and $400,000 Charles Town Oaks will headline the action on an Aug. 27 card that will include 9 stakes races totaling $1,850,000 in purse money. The Friday night card on Aug. 27 will get underway at a special first post of 5:00 P.M. EST.
Run for $600,000 in 2020, the Classic received a purse bump of $200,000 for 2021 while the Oaks received the same increase up to the $400,000 level for next year. The three unrestricted stakes on the Classic night undercard – the Russell Road, Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon and Robert Hilton Memorial – also received $50,000 hikes to $150,000. Four West Virginia-bred stakes, each worth $50,000, round out the stakes lineup.
The four West Virginia bred stakes on Aug. 27 will be just four of 16 state bred stakes worth $50,000 each at Charles Town in 2021 with the first coming on April 17 when older fillies and mares take the track for the Original Gold Stakes run over Charles Town's two-turn seven furlong distance.
The signature event for West Virginia-breds will take place on Oct. 9 as the West Virginia Breeders' Classics take center stage for its 35th renewal. The purses for the races comprising West Virginia Breeders' Classics XXXV will be announced at a later date.
The post Charles Town Classic, Oaks Will Again Be Held On Same Program In 2021 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
