Charles Town intends to offer an open stakes race worth up to $1 million next season.
September 20th, 2008 Posted in Horse Racing newsCharles Town intends to offer an open stakes race worth up to $1 million next season.
The West Virginia track announced on Thursday the creation of the Charles Town Classic, a 1 1/8-mile race for 4-year-olds and up, scheduled for April 18, 2009.
The new race, the richest in the track’s 75-year history, will have a guaranteed purse of $500,000, with an additional $500,000 available to graded stakes winners.
Although all the details have yet to be finalized, Grade 1 winners within the past two years will race for a $1 million prize. The tiered purse structure will offer additional money above $500,000 to horses who have won Grade 2 or Grade 3 races.
Dickie Moore, the track’s general manager, credited the revenue generated by slot machines for allowing Charles Town to expand its stakes package significantly.
