Ellis Park Riders to Sign Posters, Raise Funds for PDJF

Great causes team up with top racing this weekend at the RUNHAPPY Meet at Ellis Park.  

On July 30, jockeys will sign Ellis Park 100th season commemorative posters to raise money for the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund (PDJF). Sunday is HBPA College Day with $1,000 scholarships and iPad mini/AirPods packages given out to full-time college students. Full-time students, including incoming freshmen, will receive a free Ellis Park/HBPA College Day ball cap just for registering for the drawings.

The jockey autograph session is part of Jockeys Across America, where tracks across the country pay tribute to National Disability Independence Day and raise funds for and awareness about the PDJF. 

The Ellis Park jockeys, as their riding schedules permit, will sign the full-color posters throughout the afternoon at a table between the paddock pavilion and the paddock. There is no charge, but donations will be accepted for the PDJF, a 501(c)(3) charity that currently provides financial assistance to approximately 60 former jockeys who have suffered catastrophic on-track injuries.

“This is a cause that is near and dear to our hearts,” said Jon Court, the dean of the Kentucky jockeys and a six-time Ellis Park meet leader. “We love our fans and invite everyone to come out and help us help our colleagues who sacrificed so much.” 

“No other major sport allows so much access to its participants as horse racing does on a daily basis,” said Ellis Park General Manager Jeff Inman. “Our jockeys routinely sign autographs after races. Saturday provides an organized opportunity for fans to create a real keepsake by getting any number of riders to sign our souvenir century poster.”

HBPA College Day is one of the summer’s most popular promotions. A total of nine $1,000 scholarships and nine iPad mini/AirPods packages will be given out via drawing between races.

Students must be registered for the current summer or fall term in a 2-year or 4-year institution, technical school, beauty school, graduate school, post-graduate or other institution that qualifies for federal student financial aid. Participants must show a driver’s license and current college I.D. card, letter of acceptance or similar. Students must register themselves and winners must be present to claim their prize.

The final $1,000 scholarship and iPad mini/AirPods package will be awarded in a special drawing limited to full-time college students who work in the horse-racing industry or whose parents work in the horse-racing industry, including in any capacity at Ellis Park or who work on the backstretch.

“We love partnering with Ellis Park to stage HBPA College Day,” said Kentucky HBPA executive director Marty Maline. “This promotion brings our next generation of fans, horsemen and horse owners to the racetrack, some for the first time. A big shout out goes to Ellis Park marketing director Allie Sclafani and Ellis controller Marc Estrada for working with us to make this College Day the biggest and best ever. And we encourage parents who work in horse racing—whether the front or backside—to take advantage of the special drawing for their children in college.

“By the way, it’s also RUNHAPPY Dollar Day, making it an economical day to bring the entire family out to the races.”