One yr after internet hosting the ultimate weeks of the Churchill Downs meet after which posting a profitable assembly of its repeatedly scheduled dates, Ellis Park once more has loved a spike in all the necessary metrics for its 2024 summer time race dates.
These numbers recommend Kentucky’s efforts to supply a year-round racing circuit are taking form.
Ellis reviews a 20% enhance in all-sources deal with to $72.7 million for its 25 race days, up $12.2 million from final yr’s 24-day assembly. When put next with the 23-day meet of 2022, this yr’s deal with is up by greater than $23 million. That elevated wagering curiosity is in keeping with elevated subject sizes as horsemen eye these enhancing purses fueled by Kentucky’s wildly profitable historic horse racing gaming in addition to the improved pari-mutuel numbers.
Discipline sizes at this yr’s assembly have been up from 8.0 starters final yr to eight.5. Gary Palmisano Jr., vp of racing for Ellis proprietor Churchill Downs Inc., mentioned moreover the bigger fields the observe additionally provided higher high quality at this meet.
“When you might have a nine- or 10-race card and three of the races are good 2-year-old maiden races and two are one-other (allowance) races or one thing like that, I believe it simply makes the product extra interesting,” Palmisano mentioned. “We additionally clearly leaned in closely on the grass course at Ellis, operating 4 or 5 races a day on it. That actually did not harm.
“General I might say the meet was an amazing success and it was nice to see not solely the amount, however the high quality enhance.”
Palmisano famous that Ellis Park had some 200 horses ship from their Turfway Park base to compete in races at this summer time’s Ellis assembly. CDI owns Turfway as nicely and has saved that observe open for coaching. That is practically one starter a race, as Ellis provided 228 races this summer time.
In response to figures from Equineline, Ellis’ paid purses reached $15,458,288, up 8.9% from final yr. The common purse at this yr’s meet reached $67,800, up from final yr’s $65,373. Between the Ellis purses and the delivery choices, the Kentucky circuit is offering high quality choices for horsemen.
“The truth that you’ll be able to reside within the Northern Kentucky area, and have stalls at Turfway, and by no means should uproot your loved ones or transfer round; that is interesting to horsemen right here within the state,” Palmisano mentioned. “The truth that they’re taking part in races throughout the state, whether or not or not it’s Kentucky Downs, or Churchill, or Ellis, is sweet.”
Followers watch horses race on the turf at Ellis Park
For reference, Ellis purses are behind the summer time boutique meets. This yr’s Del Mar assembly (up to now) has had a median purse of $78,808, whereas Saratoga Race Course checked in at $117,476, however the Henderson, Ky., observe is nicely forward of the $35,959 common purse on the Gulfstream Park summer time meet and the continuing Hawthorne Race Course meet ($23,121 up to now).
CDI-owned Ellis Park and Colonial Downs characteristic comparable common purses of $67,800 at Ellis and $67,951 up to now at Colonial, which can provide some big-purse stakes races to shut out its assembly Sept. 7.
This yr Ellis experimented with shifting its common three-day race week to incorporate Monday racing—Saturday-Monday. Palmisano mentioned officers will take a while to assessment the numbers from that change that allowed the observe’s sign to personal the racing house on Mondays.
Ellis figures to be in line to see additional enchancment in its purses—and maybe an enlargement of its three-days-a-week schedule to 4 days—as a satellite tv for pc HHR facility tied to the observe is scheduled to open in early 2025 in Owensboro, Ky.
Palmisano and Ellis Park common supervisor Matt Pressley famous the group curiosity in racing at Ellis in addition to the devoted employees.
“We’re thrilled with the outcomes of this yr’s meet, each by way of record-breaking deal with and the excellent high quality of racing,” Pressley mentioned in a launch. “We owe our success to the dedication of our employees, horsemen and girls, horseplayers, and our local people. Because of the continued investments from Churchill Downs Integrated, Ellis Park is positioned for continued progress and success.”
