Building on the momentum of recent years was the theme of Monday’s annual Call to the Post Media Day at Ellis Park.
The 30-date thoroughbred meet runs July 1 through Labor Day, with racing Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, plus Wednesday July 4, Thursday July 5 and Monday Sept. 3. There is no racing Saturday, Sept. 1.
“This is the 12th year I’ve been here since we bought the track from Churchill Downs right after the tornado,” Ellis Park owner Ron Geary told the gathering of media, public officials, sponsors, season-ticket holders, vendors and others. “It was a struggle whether they were going to want to keep it open, and we worked something out. I’m so glad we did. It’s not been the easiest turnaround I’ve been involved with, but when you look at our purse money — $230,000 a day compared with $135,000 when we took it over — we’ve made a lot of progress. It hasn’t gone as fast as any of us want it to, but I’m very pleased where we are.”
Ron Geary addresses Media Day gathering
The bucolic horse track on the sliver of Kentucky north of the Ohio River will be offering a record $230,000 a day in purses for its 30-date meet, up from $210,000 last year. The purse hikes are attributable to revenue from historical horse racing, the parimutuel terminals featuring electronic systems that allow betting on previously-run races.
Kentucky Downs and the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, the group representing horse owners and trainers at both tracks, arranged the transfer of $2.9 million into Ellis Park’s purse account because of Kentucky Downs’ astronomical success with historical horse racing in the Nashville market.
Four stakes have been added at Ellis to bring the total to 10, with a quartet of $100,000 turf stakes forming Kentucky Downs Preview Day on Aug. 5. Also new is the $75,000 Ellis Park Derby for 3-year-olds at a mile.
The $100,000, Grade 3 Groupie Doll for fillies and mares at a mile will be Aug. 12, with the Ellis Park Derby on the undercard. The $75,000 Ellis Park Juvenile and $75,000 Ellis Park Debutante for 2-year-olds are scheduled for Aug. 19.
Buff Bradley — the trainer as well as the co-breeder and co-owner of Groupie Doll, the two-time female sprint champion for whom Ellis Park’s Grade 3 signature race is named — told the crowd that the resurgence of Ellis Park makes it possible for outfits to stay home in Kentucky for the summer.
“This is like my home anyhow, this track,” said Bradley, whose late father, former Kentucky state senator Fred Bradley, was from nearby Providence. “I’m glad I have owners who want to stay here in Kentucky and run at Ellis Park. It’s been made possible with the purse increase. In the last four or five years, it’s just really gotten good here. You see a lot of the top jockeys standing here and quite a few of the best trainers are keeping stables here. It’s going to be very competitive. Kentucky racing has moved by (the elevation) of Ellis Park.”
The 2-year-old racing again will be a focal point of the meet. At least 22 horses who raced at Ellis Park as 2-year-olds the past 20 years have gone on to win or place in Grade 1 stakes.
John Hancock, a third generation horse trainer and owner from Henderson, pointed to Chester Thomas, a two-time Ellis Park leading owner from Madisonville, and Evansville’s Mike Bruder as examples of local owners improving their stock.
“Steve Asmussen is coming with a couple of barns full. Brad Cox is coming with a couple of barns full,” Hancock said of the nationally prominent trainers who have accounted for the past three Ellis training titles. “But I don’t think it will be as easy for them. Local people … won’t be a pushover.”
The favorite Ellis Park promotions are back, including the wiener dog races, restricted to Dachshunds, on Aug. 4, 11 and 25.
From Ellis Park
