Many participants for the opening match of the Colonial Downs meeting on July 11

Opening day for the 2024 Colonial Downs live racing season is Thursday, July 11, and the draw has already taken place. The 12-race program features an average field of 10.4, as 125 entries have been filed, including six on the field of eligible entrants.

Beginning with three National Steeplechase Association (NSA) races, the first start on Thursday is at 11:45 a.m. ET.

The Old Dominion 6, a classic Pick 6 with a $1 minimum, features five rounds that are either short or full with 12 starters. The Late Pick 5 with a 12% out is just as rich with an average field size of 11.4.

Watch: CDI’s Palmisano discusses summer meetings at Ellis Park, Colonial Downs

Eleven of the twelve races are scheduled on the Secretariat Turf Course. The only dirt event will be in Race 4, one of three races on the schedule for 2-year-old fillies. Complexity, the leading freshman sire in terms of earnings, will be represented on the program, as will the first-crop fillies of Tiz the Law and McKinzie.

Last year’s top horses got going Thursday. Top 2023 conditioner Michael Trombetta leads the way with five entries. Michael Stidham has three; Kelsey Danner, four. Mark Casse and Shug McGaughey are represented with two each.

For her first meet at Colonial Downs, Cherie DeVaux is entering three horses. Zartownis and Norwich will face off in the turf race, which will be run as Race 8, and Prouver will run the turf race one race later.

Select Thursdays during the nine-week meet will begin with three steeplechase races, a hallmark of Colonial Downs racing. When steeplechase races are scheduled, the first start on Thursday is at 11:45 a.m. Flat racing begins at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday and Saturday. New this year: later afternoon racing every Friday with the first start at 4:30 p.m.

STAKES RACES START ON SATURDAY, JULY 13

The first three races of the season, the $125,000 Million Preview, the $125,000 Beverly D. Preview and the $125,000 Boston, will be drawn on Saturday, July 6. All three races will be run on Colonial’s famed Secretariat Turf Course on Saturday, July 13.

The Million Preview is for older horses going 1-1/8 miles; the Beverly D. Preview is for older fillies and mares going 1-1/16 miles; and the Boston, which serves as a prep for the G2 Secretariat Stakes, is for 3-year-olds going one mile.

PARIS 2024 MENU

New carryover rule for Pick 5; takeout remains at 12%

New for 2024: When there is a carryover in either of the 50-cent Pick 5s, whether early or late, that money will be rolled over into the following day’s Late Pick 5. The Early Pick 5 will cover the first five flat races on the card and the Late Pick 5 will cover the last five races of each day. The Takeout remains at a bettor-friendly rate of 12%.

The Old Dominion 6 returns in 2024, a classic $1 Pick 6 bet with a 15% cashout covering the last six daily races. If no one correctly picks all six winners, 25% of the net prize pool will be paid to those who picked the most winners while 75% will roll over to the next program.

The rest of the betting menu includes the standard $2 Win, Place and Show bets, $1 Exacta, 50-cent Trifecta and 10-cent Superfecta. There will be $1 Daily Doubles and $1 Pick 3s on all flat races, as well as two Pick 4 bets, one on the first four flat races and one on the last four events.

This year, bettors will also have the opportunity to pool their opinions on multiple races in the National Steeplechase Association (NSA) races, which will be held on select Thursdays. There will be a $1 Pick 3 starting with Race 1 to cover the (NSA) races and $1 Daily Doubles connecting Races 1-2 and Races 2-3. Each steeplechase race will offer the standard $2 Win, Place and Show bets, $1 Exacta, 50-cent Trifecta and 10-cent Superfecta.

OPENING WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

Live racing will begin on Thursday, July 11 at 11:45 a.m. The first three races will be NSA steeplechase events that include betting. The flat racing portion of the card will begin at approximately 1:30 p.m. This will be the first Thirsty Thursday of the season with $3 draft beer refills every Thursday throughout the season with the purchase of a souvenir mug.

On Friday, July 12, Party at the Downs will feature beer and wine specials during happy hour from 4-7pm and live entertainment in the Trackside Tent. Start time every Friday is 4:30pm

In addition to the inaugural editions of the $125,000 Million Preview, the $125,000 Beverly D. Preview and the $125,000 Boston, Saturday, July 13 features a drawing for an 18-month calendar loaded with photos of the stars of the 2023 season at Colonial Downs.

Colonial races will be widely broadcast on FanDuel TV throughout the season. Additionally, FanDuel TV will be on-site to cover the Festival of Racing on August 10.

Racing fans are encouraged to wager on Colonial Downs races through www.TwinSpires.com, the official advance deposit wagering service of Churchill Downs Incorporated and its family of racetracks. TwinSpires.com offers an enhanced wagering experience and mobile application that combines the latest technology with the ability to wager on virtually every horse, harness and thoroughbred race around the world. TwinSpires.com also offers access to unmatched information and analysis from our horse racing experts, handicappers, insiders, educators and Bloodstock Research Information Services (Brisnet).

This press release has not been edited by BloodHorse. If you have any questions, please contact the organization that produced the release.