Charles Town announces 2026 stakes * The Racing Biz

Charles Town announces its 2026 betting list

• Press release
• January 20, 2026

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races has released its 2026 betting schedule after approval by the West Virginia Racing Commission.

Charles Town’s biggest day on the 2026 calendar follows a format that began in 2020, when Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races presents both of its stakes – the $1 million Charles Town Classic (GII) and $750,000 Charles Town Oaks (GII) – on the same Friday, August 28 card. The Classic and Oaks card kicks off with a special first post at 5:00 PM Eastern.

View the full betting schedule below.

This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Buy reliable and rewarding tickets for major events!

Banishing secured the track’s signature event in 2025, taking the Charles Town Classic under jockey Tyler Gaffalione for trainer David Jacobson. The gelding son of Ghostzapper remains in training as a six-year-old and looks set to attempt to become the fifth two-time winner of the Classic later this year.

The Charles Town Oaks remains the richest sprint race for three-year-old fillies in North America. Last year’s extension was won by Indy Bay, which coach Saffie Joseph Jr. earned his second consecutive victory in the race. Indy Bay will kick off its four-year-old campaign in Saturday’s Inside Information Stakes (GII) at Gulfstream Park, and the daughter of Take Charge Indy will be a candidate for a return trip to Charles Town to contest the $300,000 Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes for older fillies and mares – which received a $50,000 purse boost – on the Charles Town Classic and Oaks undercard.

The Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes joins the $500,000 Robert Hilton Memorial (L) as the remaining unlimited-stakes races are scheduled.

Since the Charles Town Classic and Oaks moved to the same card in 2020, the blockbuster program has produced six of the seven biggest single-card handles in track history.

Charles Town’s 2026 wagering schedule includes 21 wagering races worth a total of $3.8 million. These totals do not include the West Virginia Breeders’ Classics XL card, scheduled for Oct. 10, with purses to be announced at a later date for the state premiere night for West Virginia-bred animals. The betting schedule opens April 11 with the Original Gold Stakes for West Virginia-bred fillies and mares. There will be seven more state-bred stakes to follow over the course of April, May, June and July, with two more scheduled for the Charles Town Classic and Oaks undercard. Charles Town has replenished all non-WVBC West Virginia bred stakes purses with $25,000.

“We are incredibly optimistic about the 2026 season,” said Charles Town Director of Racing Operations Charlie McIntosh. “With graded stakes like the Charles Town Classic and Oaks anchoring a blockbuster card that consistently shatters box office records, plus improved purses across the board – including a $50,000 boost to the Misty Bennett Pink Ribbon Stakes – we are ready to attract top talent and deliver exciting racing for our fans. The continued support for West Virginia-bred horses through additional purses provides a strong foundation, and with 165 days of action ahead promises to take our program even further this year.”

The 2026 racing calendar calls for 165 days of live racing, including a Wednesday through Saturday schedule in January, February, March, the second half of November and December, with racing on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays the rest of the year. Post time for all but Charles Town Classic and Oaks day is 7:00 PM Eastern.

CHARLES TOWN STAKES SCHEDULE

LATEST NEWS