MATCH Series scrapped for this year due to coronavirus pandemic

The Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championship Series is the latest horseracing casualty of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 35-race series, which was brought back in 2018 after a long absence, was scheduled to begin April 18, with races at Laurel Park and Charles Town. MATCH Series races were also on the stakes schedules of Colonial Downs, Delaware Park, Monmouth Park, Parx Racing, Penn National, and Pimlico Race Course. The Series would have concluded on Oct. 10.

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The cancellation was announced via a post on the MATCH Series web site, which in part said, the series had “been canceled this year due to uncertainty of schedules and financial issues caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. The MATCH partners look forward to the return of the series in 2021.”

Racing is currently not being conducted anywhere in the Mid-Atlantic region, which has been hit hard by the virus. Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., announced Wednesday that the beginning of its meet had been pushed back to July 4 weekend. The season originally been slated to start on May 2, and several weeks ago had been rescheduled for May 23.