Maryland, Virginia to Host MATCH Series This Year

The Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series, which was forced to go on hiatus in 2020 because of regional COVID-19 restrictions, will return this year under a two-state schedule put together by horsemen and racetracks in Maryland and Virginia to bridge the gap until the full series is restored in 2022, series officials announced in a release March 31.

The series will run from May 14 at Pimlico Race Course through Dec. 26 at Laurel Park and will feature 24 stakes—20 of them in Maryland and four at Colonial Downs in Virginia—totaling $2.75 million in purses. There will be four divisions, all of them on dirt, and $282,000 in bonus money. A full schedule and rules are available online.

MATCH, which returned to the calendar in 2018 after 16 years on the shelf, had its most successful year in 2019 when each of the partner tracks agreed to run all divisional events on one day to create big-event days. The 2020 schedule, which would have added Colonial Downs and Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, was shelved because of uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and similar concerns caused the region's stakeholders to suspend planning for 2021. But, the Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club offered to run a 2021 series at Laurel and Pimlico, and Colonial Downs and the Virginia Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association offered to partner in the effort.

"This is a tremendous demonstration of support and cooperation by the Maryland and Virginia horsemen and racetracks, and I am deeply appreciative of their desire to maintain the MATCH brand through these difficult times for racing," said MATCH creator Alan Foreman. "This should be a really fun and competitive series."

"Maryland's horsemen have always believed in the vision of MATCH and been enthusiastic supporters of the series from day one," commented MTHA executive director David Richardson. "We are thrilled to join with our friends in Virginia to renew this innovative concept for 2021 with the goal of a full rebirth in 2022."

"The 2021 MATCH Series with Pimlico, Laurel Park, and Colonial Downs offers an excellent opportunity for horsemen from all over the country to participate in a complimentary schedule of quality stakes racing on the dirt," said Jill Byrne, director of racing for Colonial Downs. "Colonial Downs has a phenomenal 1 1/4-mile main track that we look forward to showcasing through this collaboration with Maryland racing."

There will be six races in each of the four divisions, one sprint and route in an open category for horses aged 3 and up, and comparable divisions for fillies and mares. The minimum purse of all stakes is $100,000.

Owners and trainers will compete for $63,000 in divisional bonuses, and the overall series champion will net $30,000 in bonuses for its owner and trainer. In addition, the Maryland Horse Breeders Association will pay a $6,000 bonus to the highest points earning Maryland-bred horse in the series—$3,000 each to the breeder and owner.

There will be three days with all four division stakes on the same program: Aug. 23 at Colonial, Sept. 18 at Laurel Park, and Dec. 26 at Laurel. The July 4 and July 31 programs at Laurel will each have three MATCH races. For the kickoff at Pimlico, there will be two stakes on both May 14 and May 15, Preakness Stakes (G1) weekend.