Shenandoah Downs will celebrate Kentucky Derby Day this Saturday May 3rd with a party that features wagering on the entire card from Churchill Downs, a Fancy Hat contest, mint juleps, live music, a free handicapping contest and a special mid-afternoon harness start time.
The first of ten live harness races will go to post at 3:05 PM — two hours later than the normal 1:05 PM kickoff — and lead right into the Derby simulcast at 6:57 PM which fans can watch on the track’s big screen infield TV. Advance wagering on the Kentucky Derby, and the entire card from Churchill Downs, begins at 10 AM.
Fans can win their share of $300 by participating in the track’s annual Fancy Hat Contest, sporting their most elegant, creative or outrageous hat and deciding the category they want to compete in. Judging will take place after the seventh race at approximately 5:15 PM and the top three finishers in each category will get a chance to be recognized in the track’s winner’s circle.
Mint Juleps will be on sale at the bar and regional band Amulet will play live music on the mountain view concert stage from 3-7 PM.
Fans can also participate in a free handicapping contest — which will help determine the Shenandoah Downs “Horseplayer of the Year” — by filling out a contest entry upon arrival. Entrants will pick a horse they like best in the afternoon’s final five harness races and in the Kentucky Derby. The top five finishers will share a $500 prize pool — $250 to the winner, $125 for second place followed by $60, $40 and $25 — and will also advance to a “final table” on October 25 with even more prize money up for grabs. Entries must be turned in before the start of the sixth race, at 4:45 PM.
The track’s “Ten Years of Pari-Mutuel Racing” themed spring meet in Woodstock continues every Saturday and Sunday through June 8. Free Trackmaster programs and Derby Bill’s harness tip sheet are available at shenandoahdowns.com under the Wagering header.
