Ron Geary, owner and president of Ellis Park, has been named the 25th winner of the Warner L. Jones Jr. Horseman of the Year Award given by the Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners Association. Geary will receive the award at a banquet Nov. 10 at the Big Spring Country Club near Louisville. The program will begin at 6 p.m.
Geary bought Ellis Park in 2006 after serving 16 years as president and CEO of ResCare, a human-services company that he built into one of America's best 200 small companies, according to Forbes magazine. ResCare had 40,000 employees working in 36 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
After buying Ellis Park from Churchill Downs, Geary has worked diligently to improve the facilities and fan base despite heavy competition from riverboat casinos at Evansville and tracks in other states.
Single-handedly, Geary has kept Ellis Park viable in the hope that Kentucky's General Assembly will someday level the playing field by approving expanded gaming in the state. His dedication and hard work have earned him the respect of horsemen and racing fans of western Kentucky.
The Warner L. Jones Jr. award is named in honor of the late chairman of the board of Churchill Downs and president of Hermitage Farm.
Tickets for the events are $125.
For reservations, call Marlene Meyer at 502-458-5820, or Mary Blanton at 502-561-5074.