Short fields abound in much of the American racing landscape, the same narrow equine population taking turns beating each other at race meets lacking the stock to support a vibrant product. And then there is Monday’s opening day card at the 2021 Colonial Downs meeting. The diversity of horses and the humans associated them on this 11-race program just might blow your mind. The card, which ends with a pair of steeplechase races, drew 111 entrants, impressive in its own right, and the handicapping puzzles are absolutely intriguing with horses converging from such a wide swath of venues. In the first race alone, a $16,000 turf claimer, the horses entered last competed at eight different tracks. In Monday’s first two races alone, there are 25 different riders named. :: Bet the races with confidence on DRF Bets. You're one click away from the only top-rated betting platform fully integrated with exclusive data, analysis, and expert picks. Opening days are notoriously strong and momentum can be difficult to maintain, but the Tuesday program also filled well, and Colonial appears to be benefitting from Churchill Downs closing its backstretch this month in order to conduct extensive turf-course renovations. “Obviously, that really has helped us,” said Jill Byrne, vice president of racing operations at Colonial, which reopened in 2019 following a five-year hiatus. “We have a lot of quality Kentucky stables here.” Bret Calhoun, never before stabled at Colonial, took out 25 stalls. John Ortiz has 30, Dallas Stewart 21, Michelle Lovell 25. The 850-stall barn area will be filled, and Colonial always attracts plenty of ship-ins from Maryland and New Jersey. Last year’s meet was cut drastically short after an outbreak of COVID-19 in the jockey colony. With purse money left over from 2020 and robust casino business that supports racing, Colonial will offer minimum daily overnight purses of $500,000. The purse structure will be the highest since Colonial resumed operations. “Business is good,” Byrne said. Colonial employs two turf courses and is a grass-heavy meeting, but there will be more dirt opportunities this meet, Byrne said. “We’ll get more dirt races to go this season,” said Byrne. “The main track has gotten rave reviews.” There’s evidence for Byrne’s contention on Tuesday, when the feature is an open 3-year-old dirt handicap at seven furlongs that drew three talented horses – Shadow Matter, He’s in Charge, and Therideofalifetime – from Kentucky outfits. Tuesday’s second race, a dirt sprint for 2-year-olds, drew the first-time starter Gina, a half-sister to Dubai World Cup-winner Mystic Guide. Monday’s opener features four Virginia-restricted turf stakes, two sprints, two routes, and all wildly competitive. Chess Chief, winner of the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic Stakes at the Fair Grounds in March, is easily the best known horse on the Monday card. A Virginia-bred trained by Dallas Stewart, who is active on Monday’s program, Chess Chief makes his turf debut in the $100,000 Bert Allen Stakes. Colonial typically has raced evening cards but post time for this 21-day meeting, which ends Sept. 1, is 1:45 p.m. Eastern. The race week is Monday through Wednesday, as Colonial, like other venues not at the top of racing’s food chain, tries to carve a niche outside the busy weekend schedule. Colonial offers a free shuttle on race days for horses shipping from Maryland and owner and trainer starter bonuses to encourage participation. A healthy stakes schedule, turf heavy to be sure, culminates with a five-stakes card on Aug. 31 headlined by the Grade 3, $250,000 Virginia Derby.