Ellis Park, which closed its 30-day meet Sept. 5, reported a rise in all-sources handle and a slight drop in on-track wagering. Purses were up 25% due to an influx of funding from Kentucky Downs and historical race wagering.
New Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, jockey Corey Lanerie and owner Chester Thomas’ Allied Racing came away as the 2016 Ellis Park meet champions.
Three-time Kentucky Derby-winning jockey Calvin Borel resumed his racing career Aug. 27 at Ellis Park, with a third- and fourth-place finish in two mounts, after a five-month taste of retirement.
Hall of Fame rider Calvin Borel, who retired in March, will return to the saddle Aug. 27 at Ellis Park in western Kentucky. The three-time Kentucky Derby (gr. I)-winning rider has 5,146 career wins.
Jockey Francisco Torres was transported by ambulance to St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville, Ind. after his mount flipped in the starting gate before the fifth race Aug. 7 at Ellis Park.
Innovative Idea yielded the early lead but regained top status when it mattered most to win the $100,000 Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. III) by a half-length over 28-1 longshot Emmajestic Aug. 6 at Ellis Park.
Edward Seltzer and Beverly Anderson's homebred 3-year-old colt Surgical Strike has banked $340,813 thus far, which bodes well for his half brother, Preemptive Strike, who broke his maiden in his second start Aug. 5 at Ellis Park.
Stoneway Farm's homebred Ahh Chocolate looks to bounce back from a fifth-place finish in the Fleur de Lis Stakes (gr. II) when she returns for the $100,000 Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. III) Aug. 6 at Ellis Park.
Upon earning his 4,000th career victory July 31 at Ellis Park, jockey Corey Lanerie recalled thinking he'd never make it to 1,000.
Ellis Park canceled its last two races July 29 after a thunderstorm blew through the area, causing overflowed drains and standing water on the track.
Jockey Corey Lanerie scored an unusual double July 23 at Ellis Park, where he won publicity races aboard a camel and an ostrich.
Arturo Aparicio, an 18-year-old apprentice from Panama, landed his first and second wins in the United States July 17 at Ellis Park.
"Divine intervention in the nightcap," Ellis Park announcer Jimmy McNerney told the crowd after Blame Angel captured the eighth race July 22 by 2 3/4 lengths.
Seven-year-old gelding Ain't in No Hurry led most of the way in his first start ever to take Ellis Park's second race July 22 by three lengths in the field of $16,000 maiden claimers.
The free event will go from the starting gate to the barn of John Hancock, a third-generation trainer and starts at 7:30 a.m.
Trainer Ian Wilkes thought Marylou Whitney Stable's 4-year-old colt Gorgeous Bird had considerable talent but just wasn't quite getting it all together.
Ellis Park is teaming with the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance July 17 to promote the industry-wide venture that provides funding for rehabilitation and retraining of retired racehorses .
The Factor was represented by his first winner July 9 when Senora Acero drove to a two-length triumph in the sixth race at Ellis Park.
One byproduct of the Churchill Downs Racing Club is the fact that Ellis racetrack owner Ron Geary and Kentucky Downs' co-owner Corey Johnsen can race their horses at their tracks.
Horse owner-breeder Bobby Hunt had wanted to run Betrothal and Runaway Betty on the same day last year at Ellis Park. But the 2-year-old Runaway Betty hadn't progressed far enough to make her first start.
Ellis Park will also present 'Capping Contest for a Cause Saturday and host a Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance day July 17
Heavy rain the morning of July 4 led Ellis Park to cancel its live racing program for the Monday holiday.
Seajay Racing's Spelling Again, winner of the July 2 Princess Rooney Stakes (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park, could be headed to western Kentucky for the Aug. 8 Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. III) at Ellis Park.
#KyDerbyKids—the social-media initiative where the sons and daughters of trainers who had horses in the 2016 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) tweeted about their experiences—is expanding to include kids connected to 2-year-old runners.
Meet from July 2-Sept. 5 will provide Kentucky with a summer 2-year-old stakes.
Enhancing what already is American racing's most lucrative daily purse program, Kentucky Downs will pump an additional $600,000-plus into its 2016 overnight races and stakes for its five-date, all-turf meet in September.
Historical wagering at the Red Mile in Lexington, conducted in partnership with Keeneland, enjoyed a fast start in its initial months of operation in 2015.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Dec. 1 approved Turfway Park to add historical racing, although track officials did not put a timetable on when such gaming would become reality at the Northern Kentucky track.
Kentucky Downs and Churchill Downs will have no overlapping dates next year under a schedule approved Oct. 26 by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Kentucky Downs had requested seven days, up from five this year.
Regulators, as well as potentially affected track officials, had no easy answer Oct. 6 for Kentucky Downs' request to add two days to its short, successful September meet.
The Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance announced Sept. 29 that Ellis Park and Turfway Park in Kentucky have both signed on to match contributions made by owners at each track.
Kentucky Downs, which was rebuffed last year in its attempt to add racing days to its 2015 schedule, will try again for 2016, track president Corey Johnsen said Sept. 16.
Ellis Park concluded its 93rd race meet Monday, Sept. 7, with sizable increases in handle and field sizes as the track's purses have been boosted by gaming revenues from historical racing at the Henderson, Ky., operation.
Having surpassed the $1.1 billion wagering mark and coming off the best month since it was introduced in September 2011, historical racing in Kentucky is poised to soar as it enters the Lexington market.
Miller Racing's Call Pat and Joe Rocco Jr. unleashed a huge move late in the middle of the track to catch pacesetting longshot Fioretti for a half-length victory in the Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. III) at Ellis Park.
Preston Stables' Flashy American, who last raced in the grade I Delaware Handicap, and the lightly raced but ultra-consistent Willow Hills are among those entered for the $100,000 Groupie Doll Stakes (gr. II) Aug. 8.
Three-year-old Limousine Liberal blitzed to an Ellis Park track record for six furlongs in winning the sixth race July 18.
The Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association is giving away nine laptops to college students during the July 19 card at Ellis Park.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on June 29 delayed taking a vote on proposed rules on medication testing, withdrawal guidelines, and disciplinary measures and penalties that included rules on the mineral cobalt.
Ellis Park and RaceTech have extended their existing licensing agreement for historical racing games at the Henderson, Ky., racetrack. The new agreement runs through Dec. 31, 2016.
In a year that has seen total handle on historical racing in Kentucky surpass $1 billion since its September 2011 launch, interest continues to be strong.
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Monday, March 23, approved changes that will allow more flexibility in the use of Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund purse money generated by wagering on historical races.
Trainer Tevis McCauley will have to answer to multiple charges, including allegations of "milkshaking" and medication rule violations, following an investigation by Kentucky Horse Racing Commission staff.
In April Kentucky Downs plans to change its current historical racing machines, currently the Cella family's Instant Racing games, to a new player in the market called Encore Gaming.
Officials are crediting a collaborative effort after Kentucky delivered its safest year on record in 2014 in terms of both number of equine breakdowns in races and rate of equine breakdowns.
Historical race wagering at two Kentucky racetracks registered healthy increases in October versus the same month in 2013, according to statistics released by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.
At its regular Oct. 21 meeting at the Kentucky Horse Park, the KHRC approved race dates for next season that kept in place an agreement on September dates made by Churchill Downs, Kentucky Downs, and Ellis Park.
Trainer Dale Romans has had success keeping his 2-year-olds in western Kentucky during July and August rather than upstate New York -- and it has nothing to do with purse money.
Under a plan approved Oct. 15 by the tracks involved, Kentucky Downs will continue to offer just five race days in 2015 but the Franklin, Ky., track will pick up an additional Saturday.
Representatives from Kentucky Downs, Churchill Downs, and Ellis Park failed to hammer out an agreement on 2015 September race dates in a Tuesday, Oct. 14, meeting facilitated by a KHRC committee.
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