Late spring and early summer offer great racing opportunities for horseplayers including the final two legs of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown Series — the Preakness and Belmont Stakes — along with the opening of Colonial Downs’ 9-week summer season and the high- profile Saratoga summer meet.
Fans can wager the action a number of different ways — at VA-Horseplay Off Track Betting Centers in Henrico (Breakers Sports Grille) and Chesapeake (Buckets Bar & Grill), at any Rosie’s Gaming Emporium in Richmond, New Kent, Vinton, Collinsville, Hampton and Dumfries, and online via TVG.com, Xpressbet.com, Twinspires.com and NYRABets.com.
Here’s the enticing lineup. Enjoy!
Preakness Stakes Weekend – 15 stakes over 2 days!
Friday May 20 – $250,000 Black Eyed Susan Stakes (Gr. 2); $300,000 Pimlico Special (Gr. 3), $150,000 Miss Preakness Stakes (Gr. 3) & 3 others.
Saturday May 21 – $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (Gr. 1); $250,000 Dinner Party Stakes (Gr. 2); $200,000 Chick Lang Stakes (Gr. 2); $150,000 Gallorette Stakes (Gr. 3); $150,000 Maryland Sprint Stakes (Gr. 3)
Memorial Day (Mon. May 30) – Santa Anita hosts a trio of Grade 1 Stakes! $500,000 Shoemaker Mile, $400,000 Gamely, $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup
Belmont Stakes Weekend – 14 graded stakes over 2 days!
*Friday June 10 – $750,000 New York Stakes (Gr. I), $400,000 Bed ‘o Roses (Gr. 2), $300,000 True North (Gr. 2) plus 2 others
*Saturday June 11 – $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (Gr.1) plus 7 other Grade 1 stakes:- $1 million Metropolitan Handicap, $750,000 Manhattan, $500,000 Ogden Phipps, $500,000 Acorn, $400,000 Jaipur, $400,000 Woody Stephens, $500,000 Just a Game
Saturday July 2 – Holiday Weekend Kickoff – At Churchill: $750,000 Stephen Foster (Gr. 2), $300,000 Wise Dan (Gr. 2), $350,000 Fleur de Lis (Gr. 2); At Delaware Park: $300,000 Delaware Oaks (Gr. 3), $200,000 Kent Stakes (Gr. 3); At Woodbine – 4 graded stakes including the $200,000 Highlander (Gr. 2), $175,000 Nassau Stakes (Gr. 2)
Saturday July 9 – Belmont hosts a pair of Grade 1’s on turf – $1 million Caesars Belmont Derby Invitational, $750,000 Belmont Oaks Invitational; Plus, wager the $500,000 Delaware Handicap (Gr. 2 at Delaware Park), $300,000 Indiana Derby (Gr. 3 at Indiana Grand) & $250,000 Iowa Derby (at Prarie Meadows) that day!
Monday July 11 – Colonial Downs presented by Woodford Reserve opens its “More Racing, More Fun” 9-week race season in New Kent! Opening day card includes four $125,000 Virginia-bred stakes: the Brookmeade, M. Tyson Gilpin, Edward P. Evans & Punch Line. The season continues every Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday thru Sept. 7. Daily post time is 1:45 PM.
Thursday July 14 – Opening day of Saratoga’s prestigious summer race season! Season continues every Wednesday thru Sunday until September 5.
