Virginia Derby Tops Colonial Downs Stakes Schedule

Colonial Downs, racing this summer from July 23 through Aug. 29, has released its schedule for its 18-day meet, during which it projects to distribute $500,000 in purses daily.  

Closing day will offer some of the track's richest racing: the 18th running of the $250,000 Virginia Derby (G3T) and a trio of undercard stakes, the $150,000 Virginia Oaks, and $100,000 Rosie's Stakes and $100,000 Kitten's Joy Stakes—the latter two for juveniles. Last year the Rosie's Stakes winner was Four Wheel Drive, who would later capture the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2T).

Colonial Downs has been added to the Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship Series lineup this summer in an event that will create another high impact day. Seven participating tracks in the series will take turns hosting a slate of five stakes monthly between April and October. The five-pack of $100,000 stakes at Colonial, scheduled for August 15, includes the Victory Gallop Stakes, Chesapeake Stakes and Seeking The Pearl Stakes on dirt and the Da Hoss Stakes and Old Nelson Stakes which will be on grass.

In all, 35 MATCH Series stakes will be held in 2020 with $3.75 million in purses on the line.

Virginia-bred and sired horses will once again be showcased on two separate evening programs of stakes.

Graduates of Virginia's residency program can earn additional funds. In the program format, any horse that was conceived and foaled outside of Virginia and spent a minimum six-month stay at a Virginia-Certified farm or training center before December 31 of its 2-year-old year currently receives an extra 25% bonus when it wins a race in the Mid-Atlantic region, according to a release from Colonial Downs.

In an effort to help lure some of those graduates back to the State where they spent time being raised, Colonial officials have introduced a slate of twelve restricted handicap races eligible to Virginia-bred, sired and certified horses and will be held on both dirt and turf. 

"Colonial Downs has expanded the stakes schedule for 2020 off a very successful return to live racing in 2019," said the track's vice president of racing, Jill Byrne. "The addition of the lucrative MATCH Series is a wonderful fit to our program and our role in the Mid Atlantic. Add in Virginia Derby day and the increased opportunities for the Virginia-Bred and Certified program and it is a packed schedule to take advantage of our fantastic turf and dirt courses during our 18-day meet."

The complete stakes schedule can be found at www.colonialdowns.com.