'Folks think we are crazy': Colonial Downs will switch to weekend dates in an attempt to draw better crowds

Colonial Downs will move two of its Grade 1 stakes races to New Kent for the 2023 season. The American Graded Stakes Committee voted 6-5 in favor of the move. It's another switch in the Thoroughbred horse racing industry. The goal is to attract bigger crowds. In 2022, the average live attendance for 26 days was 1,700. This year's Virginia Derby drew a record crowd of 5,000 people. There was a track-record handle of $6.5 million. Churchill bought Colonial Downs earlier this year.