The Grade 2 Charles Town Classic was pushed back on the calendar this year from its usual mid-April date to late August because of the coronavirus pandemic and for the first time was run on the same card as the West Virginia track’s other graded race, the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks. The result was good enough that Charles Town will retain the format for 2021. The Charles Town Classic and Charles Town Oaks will headline a nine-stakes card with total purses of $1.85 million on Aug. 27. The Classic and Oaks had their purses reduced this year as a result of the pandemic forcing the temporary closure of both the Hollywood Casino at Charles Town and the racetrack but the races will each receive $200,000 increases in the coming year. The 1 1/8-mile Classic, which had a purse of $1 million in 2019, was a $600,000 race this year. It will be worth $800,000 in 2021. The seven-furlong Oaks will have a $400,000 purse next year after offering a $300,000 purse in 2019 and $200,000 this season. The Aug. 27 undercard will include three open stakes – the Russell Road, Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon, and Robert Hilton Memorial – which will all have their purses raised from $100,000 to $150,000. Four West Virginia-restricted stakes, each worth $50,000, also will be held on the program that has a 5 p.m. Eastern first post. The Charles Town meet will offer 12 additional West Virginia-bred stakes, each worth $50,000. The purses for the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics, which are slated for Oct. 9, will be announced at a later date. The West Virginia Racing Commission approved the 2021 Charles Town stakes schedule at its Tuesday meeting.