Charles Town Races
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Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is a
casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
,
hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
and
Thoroughbred horse racing Thoroughbred racing is a sport and Horse industry, industry involving the Horse racing, racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport – flat racing and jump racing, the latter know ...
complex located in
Charles Town, West Virginia Charles Town is a city in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States, and its county seat. The population was 6,534 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The city is named for its founder Charles Washington, youngest brother of Pres ...
, 60 miles (97 km) northwest of
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
It is owned by
Gaming and Leisure Properties Gaming and Leisure Properties, Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in casino properties, based in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. It was formed in November 2013 as a corporate spin-off from Penn National Gaming. The company ow ...
and operated by
Penn Entertainment Penn Entertainment, Inc., formerly Penn National Gaming, is an American entertainment company and operator of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gambling. It operates 43 properties in 20 states, under brands including Hollywood ...
.


History


Background and development

The track opened on December 2, 1933. It was the first horse track to open in West Virginia, following the legalization of parimutuel wagering earlier in the year. It was developed and operated by the Shenandoah Valley Jockey Club, led by Joseph Boyle. It became America's first winter race meet upon its opening. The facility, located on the former grounds of the Charles Town Horse Show, was constructed in two months at a cost of $160,000 (a huge sum during the height of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
). The developers believed that it would draw large crowds due to it being the only northern track to hold races during the winter season, and they were right. Even with freezing temperatures and odds being calculated by
slide rule A slide rule is a hand-operated mechanical calculator consisting of slidable rulers for conducting mathematical operations such as multiplication, division, exponents, roots, logarithms, and trigonometry. It is one of the simplest analog ...
, the grandstand overflowed. Train service from
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
boosted attendance, and the track continued to thrive through
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The facility attracted many notable guests, including
J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American attorney and law enforcement administrator who served as the fifth and final director of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) and the first director of the Federal Bureau o ...
, who was a regular visitor, and
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...
during his campaign for
Presidency A presidency is an administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. Although often the executive branch of government, and often personified b ...
.


Ownership changes and expansion

Shenandoah Corporation purchased the track in 1971 for $6 million. Shenandoah Corporation also owned Shenandoah Downs, which was Charles Town Races only competitor. After the closure of Shenandoah Downs in 1975, year-round racing was moved to Charles Town. Shenandoah Corporation was acquired in 1977 by Kenton Corporation, which then merged with
Rapid-American Corporation Meshulam Riklis (; 2 December 1923 – 25 January 2019) was an Israeli financier and businessman. Early years Born in Istanbul to a Russian-Jewish family, Riklis grew up in Tel Aviv, and attended the Herzliya Hebrew Gymnasium high school; befor ...
in 1981. In 1983, Rapid-American sold the Charles Town track to a group of local businesspersons for approximately $12 million. During the 1990s, purses fell, leading to dwindling attendance and fewer high-caliber horses. The track's future was in serious doubt, and many observers feared the facility would close for good. Then, during the fall of 1996, voters approved video lottery machines at Charles Town. The track was then sold in early 1997 to a joint venture of
Penn National Gaming Penn Entertainment, Inc., formerly Penn National Gaming, is an American entertainment company and operator of integrated entertainment, sports content, and casino gambling. It operates 43 properties in 20 states, under brands including Hollywood ...
(now Penn Entertainment) and Bryant Development Company for $16.5 million. The new owners began a $175-million upgrade of the venue. These upgrades included the addition of
simulcast Simulcast (a portmanteau of "simultaneous broadcast") is the broadcasting of programs or events across more than one resolution, bitrate or medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at exactly the same time (that is, simultaneously) ...
racing, numerous dining options, and 3,500
slot machine A slot machine, fruit machine (British English), poker machine or pokie (Australian English and New Zealand English) is a gambling machine that creates a game of chance for its customers. A slot machine's standard layout features a screen disp ...
s. Penn National bought out Bryant Development's 11-percent stake in the property in 2000 for $6 million. West Virginia legislators in 2007 authorized table games at the state's race tracks, subject to a local referendum in each county. Jefferson County voters rejected table games at Charles Town later that year. A hotel was added to the property in 2008, with 153 rooms. In 2009, a second referendum was held, and county voters approved table games for Charles Town. Table games were added to the gaming floor in 2010, and Charles Town Races and Slots became Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, adopting the Hollywood brand used for several of Penn National's other properties. An event center for live concerts and shows was also added. Charles Town thrived for years as the closest gambling option for residents of the Washington/Baltimore metropolitan area, until Maryland legalized casinos. Starting in 2012, competition from casinos in the Baltimore area took a heavy toll on Charles Town's business.


Horse racing


The Sprint Festival

In 2008, the track inaugurated The Sprint Festival, four open stakes worth a total of $500,000. These are the 4½
furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...
$200,000
Charles Town Invitational Dash The Charles Town Invitational Dash is an American Thoroughbred horse race run at Charles Town Races & Slots in Charles Town, West Virginia. In 2008, it headlined the Charles Town Races and Slots' inaugural Sprint Festival. Run at the beginning o ...
for
colts Colt(s) or COLT may refer to: *Colt (horse), an intact (uncastrated) male horse under four years of age People * Colt (given name) *Colt (surname) Places *Colt, Arkansas, United States * Colt, Louisiana, an unincorporated community, United State ...
and
geldings A gelding ( /ˈɡɛldɪŋ/) is a castrated male horse or other equine, such as a pony, donkey or a mule. The term is also used with certain other animals and livestock, such as domesticated camels. By comparison, the equivalent term for castrat ...
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.


West Virginia Breeders' Classics

In 1987, NFL Hall of Fame
Sam Huff Robert Lee "Sam" Huff (October 4, 1934 – November 13, 2021) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He played college footba ...
organized the first West Virginia Breeders’ Classics. Local favorite Onion Juice won the inaugural running and the state's first $100,000 purse. * Biggest race of the day is the $300,000
West Virginia Breeders' Classic The West Virginia Breeders Classic is a thoroughbred horse race for West Virginia breeds run at a distance of one and one/eighth mile on the dirt. Open to three-year-olds and up, it takes place each year at the Charles Town Races in Charles Town, ...
. * Total purses for the day combine for a total $1,000,000.


Charles Town Classic

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 Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...
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 3 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 Game On Dude (foaled April 26, 2007 in Kentucky) is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse gelding. He won fourteen graded stakes races, including eight Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes: the Santa Anita Handicap in 2011, 2013, and 2014 the on ...
and
Shared Belief Shared Belief (February 15, 2011 – December 3, 2015) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. As a two-year-old, he was undefeated in three races, including the Hollywood Prevue Stakes and Los Alamitos Futurity, and was named the American Cham ...
.


Graded events

The following Graded events were held at Charles Town Races in 2019. Grade III * Charles Town Classic * Charles Town Oaks


Other facilities


Hotel

Also on the property is a 153-room hotel, The Inn at Charles Town, and several dining facilities including: a food court, sports bar, fine dining restaurant, and the Skyline Terrace which overlooks the track. However, while a hot buffet breakfast is served at the hotel, the previously mentioned dining facilities are not located in the hotel. The property offers a shuttle between the hotel and casino/racetrack for its patrons.


Table games

On December 5, 2009, a second referendum was held on table games and this time voters approved the referendum to allow table games at the venue. As of July 2, 2010, the facility, for years known as "Charles Town Races & Slots," was renamed "Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races".


Sports betting

On August 30, 2018,
sports betting Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. Sports bettors place their wagers either legally, through a sportsbook or bookmaker (colloquially known as "bookies"), or illegally through priva ...
began at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races. The casino is the first in West Virginia to offer sports betting.


See also

*
List of casinos in West Virginia This is a list of casinos in West Virginia. West Virginia became the fifth US state to legalize online gambling when HB 2934 passed the State House in February 2019. The first legal online casinos launched in the state in July 2020. With a total ...
*
List of casinos in the United States This is a list of casinos in the United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a ...
*
List of casino hotels This is a list of notable casino hotels. A casino hotel is an establishment consisting of a casino with temporary lodging provided in an on-premises hotel. Casino hotels * Agua Caliente Casino and Hotel * Aladdin (defunct) * Al Wad ...


References


External links

*
Ronney W. Brown Racing
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races Casinos in West Virginia Horse racing venues in West Virginia Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, West Virginia Tourist attractions in Jefferson County, West Virginia Charles Town, West Virginia Casino hotels in West Virginia