NEW KENT COUNTY, Va. – With one year under its belt, the return of live horse racing to Colonial Downs in New Kent will feature even more dates in 2020.
The Colonial Downs Group announced Monday that 18 race dates have been approved for July and August 2020, up from 15 days in 2019.
Racing will run on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from July 23 through August 29 with a scheduled post time of 5:30 pm.
Events will include the MATCH Series on August 15 and the G-3 Virginia Derby will close out the race meet on August 29 along with the Virginia Oaks, Rosie’s and Kitten’s Joy Stakes.
The Colonial Downs Group says they will distribute $500,000 per day in purses.
The group touted the “extremely positive” results in 2019, saying more than 36,000 people attended racing events and participants competed for $7.4 million in purses which is a 55% increase from 2013.
“It was such a successful return of racing to Virginia in 2019, with Colonial Downs receiving wonderful support of top horsemen and women from all regions of the country, as well as horseplayers, fans and the entire racing industry,” said Vice President of Racing Operations, Jill Byrne. “We could not be more enthusiastic for the 2020 season.”
The Colonial Downs group has committed to invest $300 million and add more than 800 new jobs to the Commonwealth in an effort to revitalize Virginia’s horse industry.
Tickets for the www.colonialdowns.com go on sale on February 2, 2020.
