Ellis Park Opens July 8, Marks 100-Year Anniversary

Following the July 4 conclusion of the spring meet at Churchill Downs, racing in Kentucky shifts July 8 to Ellis Park.

The Henderson track, located not far from Evansville, Ind., celebrates its 100-year anniversary this season after first opening in 1922 as Dade Park. It runs 23 dates during the summer stretched over eight weeks before wrapping up Aug. 28.

During that stretch, the track has a scheduled pause for one day of racing Aug. 13 at Churchill Downs.

Eight races are slated on the opening day card, with Friday purses ranging in value from $12,500 for maiden $10,000 runners that go in the opener to $52,000 for first-level allowance optional claimers that race in the seventh race, the day's feature.

Four races are carded for grass, a surface that has not been available for racing in Kentucky since Churchill Downs suspended use of its troubled new turf course after racing June 10.

Trainers Steve Asmussen, Bret Calhoun, Mark Casse, Mike Maker, Shug McGaughey, Kenny McPeek, and Brendan Walsh are among those with horses entered on opening day.

Francisco Arrieta, Rafael Bejarano, Gerardo Corrales, James Graham, Brian Hernandez Jr., Corey Lanerie, and Joe Talamo are some of the jockeys with scheduled mounts Friday.

Ellis Park has spent more than $4 million in advance of its meet between barn and frontside improvements, including a new audio system, general manager Jeff Inman said.

"It's a legacy property—it needs a bit of love and care," Inman said.

The track is using a different barn as its receiving barn while work continues to replace the one that was ravaged by a fire last summer.

Growth for Ellis Park is tied to a satellite historical horse racing gaming facility in Owensboro that the track intends to open in mid-2023 that will be able to house 600 slot-like HHR terminals, Inman said. Ellis Park's on-site HHR gaming with 320 machines trails gaming handle at other major Kentucky tracks.

"Facility updates, that's the key there," Inman said. "But again, we've been comfortable telling people we believe our Owensboro property can generate $6-8 million a year in purses."

Improving Ellis Park is a goal each year, he added, "and Owensboro is the engine that will allow us to do that."

Ellis Park management has come under periodic criticism from some Kentucky Horse Racing Commission commissioners for its lackluster gaming returns and capital improvements well short of announced plans when the track was acquired. Since 2019, Ellis Park has been owned by a subsidiary of Laguna Development Corporation of Albuquerque, N.M.

The track's stakes schedule includes two races honoring individuals that died over the past year with ties to the track. The $75,000 Jeff Hall Memorial Stakes is July 24 and the $60,000 R.A. "Cowboy" Jones Overnight Stakes will be run Aug. 6.

Ellis is the only Thoroughbred track in Kentucky without a graded stakes race. The $200,000 Runhappy Ellis Park Derby run Aug. 14 is its richest race.