Kentucky Tracks at Odds on September Dates
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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 the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's race dates committee.
Hoping the tracks are able to work something out before the regularly scheduled meeting of the full racing commission Oct. 21, the committee took no action on recommending Thoroughbred race dates for the 2015 season. The committee does plan to meet again before the Oct. 21 full commission meeting, likely that day, in hopes of approving a recommendation.
Kentucky Downs, which registered record pari-mutuel handle and field sizes of more than 10 horses a race at its five-date September meeting this year, is seeking two additional dates for 2015. In a proposed schedule outlined in a dates committee packet, Kentucky Downs seeks to race four Saturdays and three Wednesdays in 2015 after offering two Saturday cards in 2014.
Under the schedule, Kentucky Downs would offer a card on the first Saturday of the month, Sept. 5, that would overlap with Ellis Park, and would race the remaining three Saturdays of the month, which each would overlap with Churchill Downs.
Kentucky Horse Racing Commission executive director John Ward mediated Tuesday's meeting between Churchill Downs racetrack president Kevin Flanery, Kentucky Downs president Corey Johnsen, and Ellis Park owner Ron Geary. Ward said the biggest problem is a shortage of horses in the state that makes it difficult to have overlapping dates.
Also being debated is Kentucky Downs' request to serve as host track for 12 days in September. A host track in Kentucky retains a larger share of simulcast revenue.
Churchill Downs again has requested 12 racing days for September and wants to be host track from Sept. 8-30. The Wednesday Kentucky Downs dates would not overlap with Churchill as the Louisville track has requested a Thursday through Sunday schedule beginning Sept. 10.
KHRC chairman Bob Beck, who also chairs the dates committee, said if the tracks fail to reach an agreement before the regular KHRC meeting Oct. 21, the dates committee will make its own recommendation.
"I'm not sure anyone will be happy with that," Beck said, noting that the committee would prefer to have the tracks resolve the issue.