General admission and parking are free! The best thoroughbred horses and trainers from around the country will run every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for seven weeks with a 1:45 pm post time. Premium tickets and full racing schedule are available at www.colonialdowns.com.

Fans will welcomed trackside with free general admission.

Colonial Downs offers a family friendly atmosphere for everyone, casual dining in the Jockey Club and upscale Turf Club dining, private suites for larger parties, outdoor clubhouse boxes, reserved grandstand seating and a hospitality tent trackside with concession fare open to everyone.

Other race meet highlights include:

·       Approximately $500,000 in daily purses and over $2.75 million in total stakes, including a robust Virginia bred and certified schedule during the meet will attract the best horses and jockeys from around the country to compete on the renowned Secretariat turf course, and second largest dirt track in North America.

·       July 19 – 21 – opening week kicks off with over $400,000 in VA bred and restricted stakes races.

·       August 30 – September 1– closing week offering over $1.2 million in stakes races highlighted by the Virginia Derby^® and Virginia Oaks^® premier races on Tuesday, August 31.

Reserved box seats, located at the finish line, are a popular option for fans.

“As we enter our third year of racing, Colonial Downs looks forward to once again hosting top horses and horsemen from across the country with daily purses offered amongst the highest during the summer months ,” said Jill Byrne, Vice President of Racing Operations at Colonial Downs Group. “The past year of the pandemic has been so challenging for everyone, we can’t wait to see our wonderful fans and supporters safely enjoying the excitement of live horse racing.”

John Marshall, Executive Vice President of Operations at Colonial Downs Group added, “I think we are all ready to put some fun back in our lives. With a variety of ticketing and dining options as well as free general admission, Colonial Downs makes for an entertaining afternoon and evening out for everyone.”

Virginia Derby Day, when fancy hats are most appropriate, is Tuesday August 31.

About Colonial Downs: Colonial Downs Group is a proud business operator in Virginia employing more than 1,000 team members paying over $30 million in annual salaries, wages, and benefits. Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums^® in Richmond, Hampton, New Kent, Vinton, and Dumfries offer innovative historic horseracing (HHR) gaming technology and full card simulcasting. Colonial Downs racetrack in New Kent County hosts live thoroughbred racing on two nationally renowned surfaces – Secretariat Turf Course, the widest turf course in North America at 180 feet wide and on a 1 1/4 mile dirt track, second in length to only the world-famous Belmont Park. Colonial Downs Group has made a $300 million investment in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The company pays more than $32 million in annual state and local taxes plus an additional $12 million in racing industry payments annually.

A total of twelve stakes races worth a combined $1.2 million showcasing Virginia-bred, certified or sired horses will be carded at the upcoming seven-week summer thoroughbred racing season at Colonial Downs. The meet in New Kent will run from July 19 – September 1 with racing every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

All 12 Breeder’s stakes will be on the Secretariat Turf Course.

Six $100,000 black-type stakes for Virginia-bred or Virginia-sired horses will take place, including five on the closing day card. The Jamestown, Camptown, Brookmeade, Edward P. Evans and Punch Line will highlight the September 1 finale lineup. A sixth, the Nellie Mae Cox Stakes, is part of opening day’s card and will complement a trio of Virginia-restricted stakes.

An additional series of non black-type Virginia-restricted stakes, also at the $100,000 purse level, are open to Virginia-bred, Virginia-sired AND Virginia-certified horses. In all, six are scheduled throughout the campaign. The Bert Allen, Meadow Stable and M. Tyson Gilpin Stakes highlight the kickoff card while another pair, the Hickory Tree and Keswick Stables sprint stakes, are on August 2. The Van Clief Stakes is a week later on August 9.

“We are excited once again to be able to run our six Virginia-bred/sired black type stakes at Colonial Downs,” said Debbie Easter, Virginia Thoroughbred Association Executive Director. “With a $100,000 purse for each race, we ought to attract the best Virginia-bred or sired horses in training. The addition of six new $100,000 Virginia Restricted stakes, open to Virginia-certified, bred and sired horses, is a huge new benefit for our Virginia certified owners.”

The dozen stakes will all be contested over Colonial’s renowned Secretariat Turf Course, which is the widest grass racing surface in the country. At 180 feet across, the massive oval is divided in half to create an inner turf course and an outer turf course.

For more information on the summer racing season and a complete stakes schedule, visit colonialdowns.com. The barn area in New Kent will open on July 5.