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Charles Town Races

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races
Charles Town Races WV1.jpg
Charles Town Races track and grandstand
Location Jefferson County, West Virginia, USA
Address 750 Hollywood Drive, Charles Town, WV 25414
Opening date December 3, 1933
Theme Silver Screen Slots, OK Corral Slots, Slot City, Slot Central and Hollywood Slots
No. of rooms 150
Notable restaurants Skyline Terrace, Skybox, Epic Buffet, Final Cut, 9 Dragons
Casino type Racetrack
Owner Gaming and Leisure Properties
Operating license holder Penn National Gaming
Previous names Jefferson County Races, Charles Town Races & Slots
Coordinates Coordinates: 39°17′44″N 77°50′55″W / 39.2956497°N 77.8486061°W / 39.2956497; -77.8486061
Website hollywoodcasinocharlestown.com

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is a race track and casino just outside the eastern city limits of Charles Town, West Virginia, owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties and operated by Penn National Gaming. It features a six furlong thoroughbred horse racing facility that is home of the West Virginia Breeders' Classic. It is one of the busiest thoroughbred tracks in the country with over 240 racing dates scheduled for 2012. It generally runs a 5 days a week schedule (four days per week in July & August and some major holidays). It also contains over 3,000 slot machines, and table games.

The Charles Town Race Track was opened on December 2, 1933 by the Shenandoah Valley Jockey Club. It has changed owners over the years and in 1997 was purchased by Penn National Gaming, Inc.

In 2008, the track inaugurated The Sprint Festival, four open stakes worth a total of $500,000. These are the 4½ furlong $200,000 Charles Town Invitational Dash for colts and geldings three-years-old and up, the $100,000 Lady Charles Town for 3-year-old fillies at 4½ furlongs, the $100,000 West Virginia Sprint Derby for 3-year-olds at 4½ furlongs, and the $100,000 Red Legend Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs.

In 1987, NFL Hall of Famer Sam Huff organized the first West Virginia Breeders’ Classics. Local favorite Onion Juice won the inaugural running and the state’s first $100,000 purse.

In 2009, it inaugurated the Charles Town Classic for older horses running a distance of one and 1/8 mile. The purse was "tiered" and was determined by the graded status of the winner. The purse's range was from between $500,000 and $1,000,000. Researcher won the 1st and 2nd Charles Town Classic races. In 2013, the purse was increased to $1,500,000 with the winner receiving $1,000,000, making the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic one of the richest Thoroughbred race contested in U.S. surpassed only by the Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup World Championships. The race has attracted top-class performers including Game On Dude and Shared Belief.


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