Ellis Park officials said Oct. 27 the racetrack will shut down after Nov. 8 and suspend simulcast operations until April 1, 2010. The move affects 75 full- and part- time employees at the Western Kentucky track.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The harsh competitive environment in which Kentucky racing finds itself was on displayed in black and white Oct. 26 when a subcommittee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission considered applications from Thoroughbred racetracks that signal a drastic reduction in live racing dates for 2010.
Monday, October 26, 2009
The owner of Ellis Park said Sept. 29 the struggling Kentucky racetrack will apply for racing dates in 2010, while the president of Turfway Park said the track would seek fewer racing dates next year.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Ellis Park, the western Kentucky racetrack that's on the fence for 2010, reported healthy gains in on-track business but a big drop in total handle after 20 days were cut from its 2009 meet.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
The future of Ellis Park beyond this year is questionable, but it appears the Kentucky racetrack's current meet has a good chance of being expanded.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Ellis Park owner Ron Geary said June 24 it's too soon to say a commitment from the racing industry and legislators to fight for racetrack gaming will keep his track open beyond the 2009 season. Meanwhile, Turfway Park and the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association plan to sit down soon to devise a plan that could include reductions in purses and racing dates for future meets.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
The Kentucky House Appropriations and Revenue Committee June 18 sent racetrack gaming legislation to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Nearly a thousand people traveled to Kentucky's state capitol in Frankfort June 17 to rally for a cause they have stood behind for years: to boost the horse racing industry by way of expanded casino gaming.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Facing the harsh realities posed by a weak economy and stiff competition from racetracks in nearby states with more lucrative purses boosted by alternative gaming, two Kentucky tracks April 7 received permission to cut their live race dates this year.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
With the Kentucky General Assembly seemingly headed for a special session this spring or summer to address a substantial revenue deficit, a legislative committee March 12 heard testimony on a bill that would authorize video lottery terminals at racetracks in the state.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Representatives of two Kentucky Thoroughbred tracks said they will be forced to reduce racing dates due to declining economic conditions, with the owner of Ellis Park saying his track would not race in 2010 unless alternative gaming is legalized in the Bluegrass State.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
An 11-member advisory panel has been named by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association to help formulate grass roots lobbying and assist the NTRA's Horseplayers' Coalition address issues that affect players at the federal level.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Ellis Park ended its annual racing meet Sept. 1 with a 3% drop in daily handle, despite broader signal distribution to advance deposit wagering outlets.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
In response to the horse industry's cries for more effective ways of regulating racehorse medications, Kentucky Horse Racing Commission chairman Robert Beck reported the possibility of the state obtaining its own laboratory facility.
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
A routine closing day at Ellis Park Sept. 1 turned eventful when three men robbed some pari-mutuel clerks following the last race at the Henderson, Ky. racetrack.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Ellis Park, which nearly closed a month ago due to stalled negotiations with horsemen over a new advance deposit wagering contract, announced it will increase purses by 5% beginning Aug. 13 through the close of the current meet Sept. 1.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Ellis Park has named Bill Downes as the new permanent live race announcer for the Henderson, Ky. track. Downes, who has called races for Presque Isle Downs, Beulah Park, and River Downs, will replace announcer Luke Kruytbosch, who died in Evansville, Ind., July 14.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Ellis Park's owner said the western Kentucky racetrack won't hold its meet this summer, though horsemen want the Kentucky Horse Racing Authority to intervene. Could another track get the dates?
Thursday, July 03, 2008
The owner of Ellis Park said he is willing to work with horsemen on revenue-sharing plans for wagering signals, but hasn't ruled out eventually closing the Kentucky track if an equitable long-term agreement isn't reached.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Ron Geary said he is facing a myriad of economic pressures in making Ellis Park a viable operation, but the owner of the Henderson, Ky., racetrack vows to fight the challenges with every resource before he considers closing the facility.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
An experiment by which the blended pari-mutuel takeout rate at Laurel Park was cut in half proved popular in theory but not at the betting windows. But was it a bust?
Monday, September 17, 2007
The president of a Louisiana horsemen's group has promised legal and legislative action if a solution isn't soon realized in the fractured advance deposit wagering industry.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Ellis Park will become the first Kentucky racetrack to host the Claiming Crown when it conducts the ninth renewal of the event Aug. 4. Only once before has the race been held away from Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Organizers of the Claiming Crown hope its 2007 edition at Ellis Park Aug. 4 goes a long way toward strengthening the foundation of the event that was inaugurated in 1999.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Saying it was responding to the pleas of horsemen, TrackNet Media Group will offer Aug. 4 Claiming Crown racing at Ellis Park to arch-rivals TVG and Youbet.com, though a company executive said the move doesn't indicate a softening of the hard lines drawn by the parties.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
After Alpena Magic scratched from Wednesday's entries at Ellis Park, track president Ron Geary announced he had privately purchased the 17-year-old from his owner, Kenneth Robinette.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Kentucky tracks would get a tax break for one major racing event per year under legislation introduced in the state General Assembly.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
The Claiming Crown, to be held for the first time at Ellis Park in western Kentucky, has been scheduled for Aug. 4, officials said.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Expanded gambling in Kentucky isn't a front-burner topic right now, but it will be next year when the state holds elections for governor and other top posts, a racetrack official said Nov. 3 during the "Thoroughbred Industry Forum" at Churchill Downs on the eve of the Breeders' Cup World Championships.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Churchill Downs' anticipated sale of Ellis Park to a company headed by Kentucky businessman Ron Geary is complete, finalizing a deal that was announced in July.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Ron Geary, who is expected to close on his purchase of Ellis Park in late September, will discuss his vision for the western Kentucky racetrack at an Oct. 2 meeting of the Louisville Thoroughbred Club.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Kentucky will host its first Claiming Crown in 2007 when the event moves to Ellis Park, the western Kentucky racetrack whose sale to businessman Ron Geary is expected to close in late September.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Kentucky racing in the summer months hasn't gotten much attention over the years, but that could change if Ron Geary has his way.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Churchill Downs Inc. has reached a definite agreement to sell Ellis Park in western Kentucky to a company owned by Ron Geary, a horse owner who recently retired as president and chief executive officer of ResCare, a Louisville, Ky., based, publicly-held provider of training services and services to persons with developmental and other disabilities.
Monday, July 17, 2006
