Ellis Park’s meet to include record purses, top horsemen & jockeys and parade of promos
An Ellis Park press release by track publicity director Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media photo)
HENDERSON, Ky. (Monday, June 10, 2024) – Ellis Park Racing & Gaming is set to welcome back fans Thursday, July 4 for the start of the 25-day summer season, featuring high-quality racing and family friendly events across the meet which runs through Aug. 26.
This season, live racing will be held three days a week, Saturday through Monday, except for opening week which will run Thursday through Sunday. Fans unable to make it to Ellis Park can watch live on-site coverage each day on FanDuel TV along with the Churchill Downs LIVE app on smart TVs. Special wagering promotions will be available on www.twinspires.com, the official wagering provider of Churchill Downs Incorporated.
Large purse money will once again be up for grabs in Racing Secretary Dan Bork’s condition book, averaging $615,000 per day (excluding substitute and extra races). All purse money includes funds from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund.
With the large prize structure, many of North America’s top jockeys and trainers will once again compete this summer at Ellis Park. Among the riders in the colony will be last meet’s top 10 leaders: Gerardo Corrales, Cristian Torres, Rafael Bejarano, Francisco Arrieta, Declan Cannon, Corey Lanerie, Brian Hernandez Jr., James Graham, Florent Geroux and Edgar Morales.
The Ellis Park backstretch will be full this summer with many of the nation’s leading outfits including Tom Amoss, Steve Asmussen, Brad Cox, Cherie DeVaux, Greg Foley, Chris Hartman, Paulo Lobo, Brian Lynch, Mike Maker, Dale Romans and Joe Sharp. They’ll be joined on the backstretch by several other top trainers including Jose Camejo, Phil D’Amato, Ron Moquett, Riley Mott, John Ortiz, Lindsay Schultz, Jonathan Thomas and Carlo Vaccarezza along with local mainstays Eric Foster, Wayne French, John Hancock, Benjie Larue, Aaron Shorter and Billy Stinson Jr.
Along with the stellar racing product, families will be able to enjoy several events throughout the summer including Racing to Ready (June 27), Breakfast with the Works (June 29), Hometown Heroes Day (July 4), Mascot Mania (July 13), Corgi & Weiner Dog Racing (July 20 and Aug. 17), Teacher Appreciation Day (July 29) and Family Fun Day (Aug. 24). Dollar Days are back each Sunday throughout the season featuring discounted hot dogs, soft drinks and beer. The full calendar of events and more details will be available soon on www.ellisparkracing.com.
Members of backstretch community will also enjoy several new additions throughout the summer including a free community garden, library exchange courtesy of the Henderson County Public Library, soccer games each Tuesday with free dinner and monthly outdoor movie nights featuring movies in English and Spanish.
Racing Analyst Joe Kristufek will once again cover the racing season at Ellis Park and will be joined on the simulcast feed by Track Announcer/Racing AnalystTony Calo. Kristufek will also make the morning line odds.
Ellis Park General Manager Matt Pressley along with Calo will be available for interviews at 10:30 a.m. CT Wednesday, June 19 at Ellis Park. More details will be distributed in the coming days.
For the latest information about racing and gaming from Ellis Park, visitwww.ellisparkracing.com.
