Charles Town approved for 235 dates in 2012

Charles Town has been granted 235 live racing dates for the 2012 season by the West Virginia Racing Commission.

The track will race four days a week during July, August, and September, and five days a week in the remaining nine months.

After experimenting with Tuesday night racing in the first four months of 2011, Charles Town will expand its Tuesday night cards to November and December, in addition to January through April. In return, there will be fewer Sunday cards. Sunday racing will be conducted from the day after the Kentucky Derby in early May through October. There will be no Sunday racing in November and December.

The net effect from the schedule changes is two fewer racing dates than 2011.

Post time for the first race on Sundays will be 1 p.m. Eastern, with all other cards beginning at 7:15 p.m. The exceptions are a 5 p.m. start time on April 14, tentatively scheduled as Charles Town Classic day, as well as 6 p.m. for the June 30 Sprint Festival card and Race for the Ribbon program on Sept. 22.

The track intends to release its complete 2012 stakes schedule within the next few weeks.