Joe Shiesty headlines $125K Dade Park Dash on Ellis Park opener

Ellis Park press release by Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media Group/Kurtis Coady photo of Joe Shiesty winning Churchill Downs’ William Walker Stakes.)

HENDERSON, Ky. (Thursday, June 27, 2024) – Thursday’s Opening Day program of the Ellis Park Racing & Gaming season features an ultra-competitive nine-race card headlined by the return of William Walker Stakes winner Joe Shiesty in the fourth running of the $125,000 Dade Park Dash.

          Carded as Race 5 of 9, the featured 5 ½ furlong Dade Park Dash will be contested on the Ellis Park turf course. Post time for the Dade Park Dash is 1:53 p.m. (all times Central), first post is 11:50 a.m.

          Joe Shiesty, trained by Eric Foster and owned in partnership by Foster Family Racing, Lonnie Reynolds, Vicki Mills and Don Coomes, drew post No. 4 for the Dade Park Dash with jockey Cristian Torres in the irons. The son of Air Force Blue found his stride late in his 2-year-old season when he broke his maiden by an eye-catching 12 ¾ lengths on Dec. 21 at Turfway Park. Following that race, Joe Shiesty won a first-level allowance contest on March 8 at Turfway and, most recently, scored a front-running 2 ¼-length win in the William Walker Stakes at Churchill Downs.

          Seven other speedy sprinters entered the Dade Park Dash including Joe Shiesty’s stakes-winning stablemate Alwaysintomischief; recent Churchill Downs allowance winner Bear River and Turfway Prevue winner Vote No.

Here’s the complete field for the Dade Park Dash from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):

• Bear River (James Graham, Keith Desormeaux)
• Vote No (Gerardo Corrales, Bill Morey)
• How’s Ur Attitude (Edgar Morales, John Ennis)
• Joe Shiesty (Torres, Foster)
• Alwaysintomischief (Luan Machado, Foster)
• Committee of One (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen)
• Chryso Alogo (Rafael Bejarano, German Vazquez Sr.)
• Barksdale (Ramon Vazquez, Will Walden)

          Thursday is the first of 25 racing days scheduled this summer at Ellis Park. Live racing will run opening week Thursday-Sunday then switch to a Saturday-Monday schedule through Aug. 26.

The opening day card is also dubbed as Hometown Heroes Day where local first responders will be recognized throughout the program.

          For more information about racing and gaming from Ellis Park, visitwww.ellisparkracing.com.