Colonial Downs announced its 2010 summer stakes schedule Feb. 5 and it again is highlighted by a pair of grade II turf races for 3-year olds—the $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup June 19 and the $600,000 Virginia Derby July 17.
Director of racing Tyler Picklesimer has beefed up the Turf Cup and Derby Day cards by shifting some secondary stakes races onto those programs to create more attractive wagering days.
The Virginia Derby undercard now includes the $150,000 Virginia Oaks (gr. IIIT), the $50,000 Kittens Joy Stakes, and a pair of $50,000 2-year old stakes—the Chenery and the Tippett.
The Turf Cup program will now feature the $150,000 All Along Breeders’ Cup Stakes (gr. III), the $50,000 Buckland Stakes, and the $30,000 Old Nelson Starter Handicap race.
All totaled, Colonial will host 19 stakes worth a combined $2,050,000 over the 40-day summer meet, which runs from May 29–July 21. For a complete stakes schedule, go to colonialdowns.com.
Several other minor changes took place in the balance of the remaining stakes, especially for Virginia-breds. The $50,000 Jamestown, which had been a six-furlong dirt stakes, switches to turf and shortens to 5 1/2 furlongs. Both the $50,000 John D. Marsh and Oakley Stakes for fillies & mares are now open to horses 3-years-old and up, instead of being restricted to 3- and 4-year olds only.