Colonial Downs will open its 14th annual season of harness racing this Saturday (September 17) in conjunction with the New Kent County Fair, which will feature a number of events, including a 5K running race on the track, live music, grape stomping, a blood drive and an inflatable village.
The Fair itself will open at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday and will kick off with the 5K race at 10:00 a.m., followed by a parade on the track at 11:00 a.m. which will feature co-parade marshals Parney and Nutsy from the Richmond Flying Squirrels AA baseball team.
Harness racing will take to the track at 1:00 p.m. and will continue through 4:30 p.m. A 10-race card will be contested over the only one-turn mile track configuration in the country. On Sunday, Colonial Downs will present a mixed-breed horse race card which will consist of a thoroughbred training race (non-betting), two steeplechase races and 10 harness races. The non-betting race will take place at 12:30 p.m., while the first jump race will be at 1:00 p.m. The harness races will follow the second jump race.
The track will continue its pari-mutuel harness season through November 5, with racing every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. A full slate of weekly promotions will include harness racing bingo every Saturday, $16 'Family ‘n Friends 4-Pack Day' every Sunday and VHHA 'Own a Horse' Day every Wednesday.
(With files from Colonial Downs)