A lucrative starter allowance tournament for horses that have started for a claiming price of $5,000 drew four overflow first-round divisions, each worth $25,000, at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races March 3.
Officials at the West Virginia racetrack said 55 horses were entered for the quarterfinal round, races for which will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs around two turns. The top five finishers in each of the four races will return March 24 for two $30,000 seven-furlong races.
The $55,000 final featuring a field of 10 at 1 1/16 miles around three turns will be part of the April 14 Charles Town Classic (gr. II) night program.
“It goes without saying we’re definitely pleased with how this came together,” Erich Zimny, director of racing operations at Charles Town, said Feb. 29.
The tournament races were seeded. The top seed is Albrecht, a 5-year-old Include gelding owned and trained by Daniel O’Ryan.
Zimny said the starter tournament was awarded special event status by the West Virginia Racing Commission, meaning all entrants can run uncoupled despite common trainers or owners.
First post time at Charles Town is 7:15 p.m. EST. The first tournament race is slated for 9:07 p.m.
