---
title: "Colonial Downs July 4 Card Cancelled As Heat Moves Stakes To July 11"
canonical: "https://readhorseracing.com/2026/07/04/colonial-downs-july-4-card-cancelled-heat-stakes-july-11/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Steve Yarmouth"
section: "News"
published: "2026-07-04T05:18:40Z"
modified: "2026-07-04T06:14:53Z"
---

# Colonial Downs July 4 Card Cancelled As Heat Moves Stakes To July 11

**Colonial Downs has cancelled its Saturday, July 4 live racing card at New Kent, Virginia, with the track moving two stakes races to July 11 and adding a July 13 fixture as extreme heat continues to disrupt the US racing schedule.**

> Colonial Downs Racing for Saturday, July 4th has been cancelled. The Two Stakes races will be used next Saturday, July 11th. We will be adding a card to Monday, July 13th.
>
> — Colonial Downs Racetrack (@ColonialDowns) [July 3, 2026](https://x.com/ColonialDowns/status/2073066386251809100)

The decision extends a difficult opening spell for the Virginia summer meet after the track had already adjusted post times and lost racing time earlier in the week. The July 4 programme will not be run as planned, with cancelled races to be posted back as extras.

According to [Thoroughbred Daily News](https://www.thoroughbreddailynews.com/colonial-downs-cancels-fourth-of-july-program-due-to-heat-wave/), Colonial said the two stakes races from Saturday’s card will now be used next Saturday, July 11, while a new card has been added for Monday, July 13.

## Colonial Downs Resets Weekend Schedule

Racing is still scheduled to resume at Colonial Downs on Sunday, July 5 and Monday, July 6, but both cards have been brought forward to 10:45am ET in an attempt to avoid the most severe afternoon conditions.

The cancellation is part of a wider heat-related squeeze on North American racing, with several tracks forced into postponements or earlier starts across the holiday period. For Colonial, the immediate priority is preserving the Virginia-bred stakes programme while keeping horses, riders and staff away from the worst of the conditions.

The move gives horsemen a clearer revised target, but it also leaves entries and race planning dependent on how quickly the regional weather picture improves.