Commission approves Charles Town dates, open stakes for 2019

The West Virginia Racing Commission on Thursday approved 164 days of racing at Charles Town for 2019 and signed off on the track's unrestricted stakes schedule, including the Grade 2 Classic, which will have a reduced purse of $1 million.

The Charles Town Classic has become a point of contention between Charles Town management and the commission, which believes the purse is excessive and that the funds can be used more effectively to benefit racing in the state.

On Jan. 23, the three-person commission refused to approve the 2018 Charles Town stakes schedule because they took issue with the race's $1.2 million purse. After Gov. Jim Justice voiced his support for the Classic, the commission called a special session 13 days later and approved the stakes schedule.

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Thursday morning, commission chairman Jack Rossi and commissioners Ken Lowe and Tony Figaretti unanimously approved the Charles Town stakes schedule but made clear they were still not totally supportive of the Classic purse, even after its $200,000 reduction.

"A million dollars is a great deal of funding for a Grade 2 race," Lowe said.

Figaretti questioned whether the national exposure of the 2018 Classic and the race's handle justified the money spent.

"It was a $1.2 million race - was it successful?" Figaretti asked. "I think no."

The Classic was won by Grade 3 winner Something Awesome against a field that also included Grade 1 winner Diversify. Total handle for the card was nearly $3.1 million, more than double the wagering for a typical spring Saturday card at Charles Town.

Rossi said he agreed with Lowe's and Figaretti's points and hoped that next year Charles Town and the commission "could look at possible ways to enhance what they are doing with that money."

The 11th running of the Classic will be April 20. The 1 1/8-mile race had a value of $615,000 in 2009 and the purse was raised to $1 million the following year. It peaked at $1.5 million from 2013 to 2015 and was worth $1.25 million in 2016 and 2017.

Erich Zimny, Charles Town's vice president of racing, said the track's signature event has paid off in a number of ways. The Charles Town Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association authorized the purse of the race in its contract with track.

"Until this race was formed we had zero presence on the national racing scene," Zimny said. "The Classic has moved our program so far forward. It's a major reason why we are on track to set another handle-per-race record this year.

"If you do the same thing every night you lose relevance."

There will be six other open stakes at the Charles Town meet.

The Charles Town Classic Day supporting stakes are the $100,000 Dance to Bristol, $100,000 Robert Hilton Memorial, and $75,000 Russell Road. The Hilton Memorial purse has been increased by $15,000 and the Russell Road is worth $25,000 more than this year.

The Grade 3, $300,000 Charles Town Oaks, $100,000 Dickie Moore Stakes, and $75,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes are scheduled for Sept. 21.

The Pink Ribbon has received a purse increase of $25,000. The Dickie Moore, a seven-furlong sprint for 2-year-old fillies, is a newly created race.

The statebred stakes schedule and information on Breeders Classics Night stakes are expected to be released in the near future.

The 164-day schedule begins Jan. 4 and will continue through Dec. 21. It contains two make-up cards due to 2018 cancellations.