Massive increase in purse for the 2013 running of the Charles Town Classic
During the last four editions of the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic, the 32 horses who have participated in those editions have gone on to win 71 stakes races in their careers. Being a significant enough race, the 1 1/8 mile Charles Town Classic was complemented
even more when the purse of the grade 2 event was increased to $1.5 million under a revised payment structure, and with the increase, the winner’s share will now be a whopping $1 million.
It was authorised on 29 November, 2012, during the time when the West Virginia Racing Commission approved Charles Town’s 2013 stakes schedule.
"In addition to furthering the Charles Town Classic as a brand-defining race, we are excited to put on this type of show for our fans in April," said Erich Zimny, vice president of racing at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. "We knew we'd always draw
a very good field with the $1 million number, but moving it to $1.5 million and giving the seven-figure amount to the winner could make it that much more attractive to those one or two horses on the fence who could move the race up another notch."
Based on the stats of 2012, the Charles Town Classic will now offer the highest purse in North America, excluding the seven Breeders’ Cup races, and the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands, which offers a purse of $2 million.
With the lion’s share of $1 million going to the winner of the Charles Town Classic, $500,000 will be split among the remaining finishers, and another welcome change was made that a grade 1 winning horse in the previous two years will have the entry and
starting fees exempted.
The 2013 stakes schedule will be released in December, and the Classic like always will be accompanied by five or six other stakes races.
The inaugural running of the Charles Town Classic was in the year 2009, and then in 2011 it was awarded with the grade 3 status, but the major lift came in 2012 when it received grade 2 status, and now the aim is grade 1 status.
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