The Virginia Racing Commission signed off on Churchill Downs’s proposed acquisition of Colonial Downs June 8.
The MATCH Series will return this year, kicking off April 16, featuring four divisions and four racetracks.
While Colonial Downs is known for its top-quality turf course, it’ll be the dirt track that takes center stage Monday with four MATCH Series stakes.
The July 19 opening day card at Colonial Downs includes four stakes and and nine races with 10 or more horses entered.
Lofty purses and the closure of Churchill Downs’s backside are among the factors leading a number of high-end trainers to Colonial Downs this summer.
Rick Williams, the new safety officer at Colonial Downs, has a horse-first approach to racing he’s honed at many stops along the way.
Colonial Downs will play host to 25 stakes during its 21-day 2021 live racing meet, which kicks off its seven-week stand July 19.
The MATCH Series of races will return in truncated form for 2021, with the series comprising 24 stakes contested in Maryland and in Virginia.
Colonial Downs will shift to an earlier post time for its 2021 schedule, which kicks off July 19 and runs through September 1.
Off to the Races Radio returns to the air March 6 with a show featuring Colonial Downs racing head Jill Byrne and stallion owner Steve Young.