Chalk this one up to common sense.
Colonial Downs has wisely decided to move its star-studded Festival of Racing from Saturday to Sunday.
Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the first post in the 12-race card is 1 p.m. ET.
Fans who couldn’t make it out to the track due to weather can still wager on the all races through advanced deposit wagering platforms like FanDuel Racing.
Debby disrupts the Downs
Rescheduling the biggest day in Virginia horse racing history was made by track officials working with weather experts to predict the risk of heavy rain and potential impact of Tropical Storm Debby.
The decision reflects consensus that extreme weather conditions should clear the area by Saturday, giving the track a little breathing room, and the chance to dry out by Sunday. Colonial Downs cited the safety of team members, the community, and horsemen traveling to compete as the highest priority in moving the card.
This is good news for the legion of horse-race bettors poised to produce exceptional handle for the New Kent facility, located halfway between Richmond and Williamsburg.
The Big Three races at Festival of Racing
Colonial Downs will be the center of the horse-racing world on Sunday. It packs an industry-best $2,836,250 in purses, including a terrific three-race package totaling $2 million right in the middle of it.
The $500,000 Secretariat unfolds at 5:20 p.m., followed by the $500,000 Beverly at 5:50 p.m. and the Arlington Million at 6:40 p.m.
All three of the big races are slated to be run over Colonial’s acclaimed Secretariat Turf Course.
Taking these race off the turf because of bad weather would have decimated the fields.
Colonial Downs Expands the program in 2024
Festival Day has expanded this year to include four additional stakes races:
– The $100,000 Petramalo Mile, a one-mile dirt race for 3-year-olds.
– Its sister race, the $100,000 Penny Chenery at seven furlongs.
– The $150,000 Van Clief for 3-year-olds & up at 5½ furlongs on the turf.
– Its distaff companion event, the $150,000 Andy Guest.
Stakes start in race 6 with the three graded stakes starting at race 9. General admission and parking are free. If you purchased a reserved ticket in advance for Saturday, it will be honored on Sunday.
Why this is enlightened thinking
For decades, horse-racing had an aversion to postponing races because of rain.
That differs from other conditions, like bitter cold and excessive winds, that have caused cards to be canceled.
The industry was often able to regulate itself in those situations. Voluntary mechanisms included jockeys refusing to run in later races after early conditions were subpar. That viewpoint spread to track officials, who often canceled winter cards in New York ahead of time when frigid conditions were forecast.
But rain was long considered something horses could weather.
That began to change recently when the California Horse Racing Board, citing deaths at Santa Anita Race Course, implemented strict safety conditions. One of them was that the threat of heavy rain could prompt tracks to postpone races days in advance.
This has worked well because the racing public is aware of the move in plenty of time and can opt to play on the rescheduled date, often a Monday.
Meadowlands Race Course in New Jersey routinely cancels cards in the face of threatening weather. So does Monmouth Park.
This has made far more sense to people than having cards suddenly canceled in the middle because of worsening conditions.
It’s refreshing to see horse racing follow established sports like Major League Baseball, which routinely and proactively postpones events well before people have to endure a long rain delay.
Colonial Downs should still enjoy a bellwether betting day Sunday because the postponement maintains its weekend contact with high-level nationwide bettors, who flock to top events.
But whether that happens or not, the decision to move this card was made for the right reasons.
