Charles 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.

Posted on September 20th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Horse Racing news