Colonial Downs® 2022 Racing Season Starts Next Week
Posted on July 5th, 2022
“More Racing, More Fun!” – General Admission is Free
Live racing returns to Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent County next week, starting on July 11 and running through September 7. As always, general admission and parking are free. Top Thoroughbred horses from around the country will run every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday with post time at 1:45 pm. Premium tickets, full racing schedule and information are available at www.colonialdowns.com
Media availability this week for morning thoroughbred workouts and race season preview stories.
Colonial Downs Racing presented by Woodford Reserve offers a family friendly atmosphere, casual dining, private suites for larger parties, outdoor clubhouse boxes, reserved grandstand seating and a hospitality tent trackside open to everyone. Concessions are available throughout the facility with food trucks stationed on the grandstand apron.
This season includes 27 race dates, more than ever before. John Marshall, Executive Vice President of Operations at Colonial Downs Group stated, “Our theme this year is more racing, more fun! With everything we have to offer, including free general admission we are looking forward to big crowds, exciting races and lots of fun this summer.”
The 2022 season will feature five different promotional giveaway days. Features include a Secretariat t-shirt on opening day, a Colonial Downs water bottle on July 19, a cooling towel on August 3, and a camouflage hat on Military Day, August 16. A plush horse giveaway will highlight Family Day festivities on August 23. And for the first time in 21 years, Colonial Downs will race on Labor Day afternoon, giving families a chance to enjoy summer’s last holiday in an affordable and fun atmosphere.
The racing season is topped by the Grade 3, $300,000 Virginia Derby® for 3-year-olds which will be run on Tuesday, September 6 along with the $200,000 Virginia Oaks® for 3-year-old fillies, both of which will be raced over the renowned Secretariat Turf Course named for the famous Triple Crown champion who was born in Doswell, Virginia.
Horsemen will be competing for an average of $600,000 in daily purse monies, including more than $3.5 million in stakes races.
In the past three seasons, many horses which started at Colonial Downs have gone on to compete in some of the most prestigious races in the United States including the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup World Championships.
