Purses Enhanced for 2016 Ellis Park Meet

Ellis Park president Ron Geary is betting that this summer will be his best meet since buying the Kentucky track nestled on the Indiana side of the Ohio River in 2006.

By featuring enhanced purses and the restoration of a 2-year-old stakes as well as a continuing emphasis on horseplayers, Geary expects the track's 30-date meet that runs July 2-Sept. 5 to be the strongest in more than 20 years.

"We'll have one of the best meets we've ever had," Geary said. "We had almost 8.3 horses per race last year, and we think we'll have an opportunity to improve on that this year. The momentum has been building for this for several months and now it's looking like reality, which is extremely exciting."

Thanks to burgeoning business with its historical racing machines and a $1.35 million contribution by Kentucky Downs, Ellis Park will offer purses averaging $210,000 a day, Geary said. That's up from $155,000 a year ago at the 1 1/8-mile track nicknamed "the Pea Patch" because of its signature soybeans growing in the infield.

"I'm incredibly pumped about our upcoming meet; it will be outstanding," racing secretary Dan Bork said. "I think we'll have a great number of quality horses running here. More people are interested in running with us than ever before, and our jockey colony shapes up as one of the strongest ever. With Ellis becoming stronger in the summer, it also helps the whole circuit."

Maiden races for Kentucky-bred horses—the majority of horses racing—will have purses of $38,000, up $9,000 from last year, while allowance races will range from $39,000 to $42,000, including supplements from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund for horses born and sired in the state.

"Those numbers are going to make me seriously consider whether it's worth going to Saratoga or Del Mar," said Louisville-based trainer Dale Romans, whose two-time grade I winner Brody's Cause first raced at Ellis Park. "I just hope more people don't start staying behind and it gets tougher to break a maiden at Ellis. I mean, 'Brody' did get beat at Ellis.

"A lot of horses get beat in 2-year-old races and go on to be top horses. It's the time of year for 2-year-olds to get started; seems the most productive. And it's a good, safe racetrack to get started on. With this kind of money, I'll definitely leave more horses in Kentucky this summer."

Scott Blasi, chief assistant to newly elected Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, said the enhanced money makes Ellis Park an alternative starting point for quality horses.

"It will give you a good option for horses that aren't quite ready to go to Saratoga yet, that are still here in the development stage," Blasi said.

The stakes schedule is highlighted by the $100,000 Groupie Doll (gr. III) for fillies and mares at one mile Aug. 6. The race was renamed for the two-time Eclipse Award champion who raced three times at the track, including victory in the 2011 stakes and third in 2013 when it was known as the Gardenia Stakes.

The Aug. 6 card also includes the $75,000 Ellis Park Juvenile, a race that gives Kentucky a much-needed 2-year-old stakes in the summer. 

In addition to Brody's Cause, winner of Keeneland's Claiborne Breeders' Futurity last fall and Toyota Blue Grass Stakes this spring (both grade I), the track's juvenile program last year produced grade II winners Venus Valentine and Dothraki Queen, grade III winner Mo Tom, and Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) runner-up Dream Dance. Among top horses to come out of the program include future Breeders' Cup winners Cat Thief, Boston Harbor, and Caressing; champion Lawyer Ron; and grade I winners Noble's Promise, Request for Parole, Turallure, Pure Fun, Pure Clan, Java's War, and Richter Scale.

"We're going to point a bunch of young horses there," said Kenny McPeek, trainer of Noble's Promise, Java's War, and Pure Fun. "It's right up our alley, and it gives us more motivation to keep these horses local."

McPeek's five wins with 2-year-olds led the 2015 Ellis meet.

Said trainer Ron Moquett: "Ellis has always been a pet meet of mine. We love Ellis. Now that they've got the money working the right direction, it's enough to make our owners run more horses there. I'll leave some good horses here to try to run. The Pea Patch just got very interesting."

Historical race wagering, or Instant Racing, at Ellis set a record each of the past three months, including April's $7.17 million, according to Kentucky Horse Racing Commission statistics.

"The last couple of years now, we've started to have very significant growth, about 50% a year," Geary said. "Every dollar that's bet on Instant Racing, a portion goes to the purse fund. The pari-mutuel taxes on Instant Racing contribute to getting extra money to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. Between those, it has really done well."

 As part of the tracks' strengthening relationship, Kentucky Downs is transferring $1.35 million to Ellis for purses to help build the circuit—an arrangement endorsed by the KentuckyHorsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association. When Churchill Downs balked at any overlapping days with Kentucky Downs in September, Geary resolved the thorny situation by giving Sept. 3—the Saturday before Labor Day—to Kentucky Downs for its opener, so Ellis Park's closing weekend is Sept. 2, 4, and 5.

"We were trying to make it a win-win," said Geary, whose minority partner in Ellis Park is Saratoga Harness Racing Inc. "And I think it did. I think it will work out really well and help the circuit be stronger during the summer and the fall.

"The last several years we've worked hard to get the track in the best shape. We put down 2,000 tons of sand and clay this year on top of what we did two years ago. And we've worked hard on getting our turf in top shape. The horsemen like that their horses leave here in great shape. We've had some outstanding horses going on to national accomplishments after starting right here at little Ellis Park."