Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races announced Feb. 16 it would again be partnering with HRTV to provide coverage for its four marquee events in 2011.
Similar to what the network aired for the events the previous two years, HRTV will provide full card coverage complete with in-studio commentary and analysis for each of Charles Town’s four event days.
The first of the Charles Town events comes on April 16 with the third running of the $1 million Charles Town Classic (gr. III). The Charles Town Classic card also features the $250,000 Sugar Maple and four other stakes.
The Charles Town Sprint Festival on June 18 is headlined by the $400,000 Red Legend for 3-year-olds. The Red Legend, won in 2009 by 2010 champion sprinter Big Drama, is the richest sprint for sophomores in the country. Charles Town also hosts the richest sprint in the country for 3-year-old fillies when the $400,000 Charles Town Oaks serves as the marquee race on the Sept. 17 Race for the Ribbon card. A total of six stakes will be run on both the Sprint Festival and Race for the Ribbon cards.
The final of Charles Town’s four marquee events is the 25th running of the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics, to be held on Oct. 15. Conceived of in the 1980’s by Carol Holden and NFL Hall of Famer Sam Huff, the Breeders’ Classics hit its high note in 2009 when total purses for the event reached $2 million. The races and purses for the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics silver anniversary rendition will be released at a later date.
Post time for the first race on the Charles Town Classic, Sprint Festival, and Race for the Ribbon programs is 6 p.m. EST, with the evening’s featured race scheduled for 10:30 p.m. For West Virginia Breeders’ Classics XXV, first post will be at Charles Town’s normal Saturday night start time of 7:15 p.m.