The Kentucky Supreme Court’s unanimous decision not to reconsider its September ruling on historic horse racing machine has resulted in the “temporary” closing of Keeneland and Red Mile facilities.
Keeneland issued the following statement:
“We were disappointed the Kentucky Supreme Court denied our petition for rehearing. At this time, Keeneland and Red Mile have made the very difficult decision to temporarily close historical horse racing operations until there is more clarity surrounding the situation.
“We have confidence the Kentucky legislature will continue its efforts to protect jobs and state revenue generated by historical horse racing, as well as protect Kentucky’s signature horse racing industry.”
There has been no announcement from Churchill, which owns the historic racing gaming center in Newport and several others. Or from the Kentucky Downs facility in Franklin.
Churchill has said their top priority in the current legislature is maintaining historical horse racing so it can continue as it has for the past decade.
Legislative solutions to legalize the racing machines are reportedly being crafted by Gov. Andy Beshear and Senator Damon Thayer.
The horse industry is responsible for more than 60,000 direct and indirect jobs in Kentucky and $5.2 billion in economic impact statewide. The historical racing alone employs more than 1,400 Kentuckians in seven cities and has already contributed more than $52 million to the state’s general fund with an additional $45 million paid annually through direct and payroll benefits.
