It’s Official: Art Collector To Use Ellis Park Derby As ‘Steppingstone’ To First Saturday In September

Bruce Lunsford's 3-year-old colt Art Collector, winner of Keeneland's Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes in his last start, is coming to the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9, trainer Tommy Drury told the track this week.

The Ellis Park Derby, with its purse doubled and distance extended from a mile to 1 1/8 miles, this year is part of the official Kentucky Derby Championship Series. The Ellis Park Derby winner receives 50 points toward qualifying for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, a number that virtually assures a spot in the 20-horse field at Churchill Downs. The runner-up receives 20 points, with 10 for third and five for fourth.

While COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on the world, the pandemic did deliver the first-ever Kentucky Derby prep to Ellis Park's summer meet because of the delay to America's greatest horse race.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to even have the race to begin with,” said Jeff Hall, Ellis Park's director of racing operations who has lived in Henderson most of his life and has worked for the track for around 30 years. “To have one of the top horses in the country coming here to run, right now is our time to shine with this. We couldn't be more thrilled.”

Art Collector already has secured a spot in the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby, thanks to earning 100 points with his July 11 Blue Grass victory under regular rider Brian Hernandez Jr.

Since that race, Drury and Lunsford have said that the options were to train the eight weeks up to the Derby or to run at Ellis Park. Shipping to upstate New York for Saratoga's Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 8 was never under consideration for Art Collector, who resumed training last Wednesday at Drury's major base at the Skylight Training Center in Oldham County.

“Bruce kind of left the decision up to me,” Drury said. “I felt we needed to go somewhere, and that was our only option. Before I said too much, I just wanted to make sure my horse came out of the Keeneland race OK and everything was in good order. Now that we're back on the track and seeing him train, gosh, if anything it seems like he's better. The timing of it is going to be good leading up to the Derby. That's the ultimate goal, and we're going to try to take our best shot.”

Drury is using the Ellis Park Derby for conditioning purposes, with hot weather expected to impact how he trains Art Collector in the mornings. The goal is to win the Ellis Park Derby but not to “gut” the horse in the process.

“The good news is that it's not a have-to-win situation,” he said. “If at any point Brian feels like we're not getting the trip or things aren't going the way we need it to go, we don't have to abuse him to win the race. We just want to get the race under our belt. This isn't the long-term goal. This is just a steppingstone to get us there.

“If this was the fall of the year and we were having nice cool days, that puts a whole different spin on it. But being the time of year it is, taking the weather into consideration, I think we're better off to go down and run the race one day. On the day-to-day type stuff, that's going to allow us to keep him in the same routine he's been in thus far.”

Lunsford and Drury are lifelong Louisvillians, while Hernandez has lived in the area since he began riding full-time in 2004. Lunsford also has a lot of close friends in western Kentucky.

“Bruce is thrilled,” Drury said of running in the Ellis Park Derby. “He's a Kentucky guy and he wants to support Kentucky racing. He thought it was a great idea. Ellis Park has gone above and beyond to help the horsemen and to have their meet. Hopefully having a horse like Art Collector in their big race helps them a little bit. Hopefully it's good for all of us.

“The ultimate goal is to run this horse the first Saturday in September, and this is a perfect steppingstone to get us there. The fact that we're able to do it without leaving the state, that's icing on the cake. Shipping around this time of year, it's a little harder on horses. It's hot, the humidity is up. It takes a little more out of them. To be able to zip right down the road, run your horse and have him sleep in his own stall that night, that plays as big a part in it as anything.”

Said Lunsford: “You could try to train him up to the Kentucky Derby. That's a long eight weeks. You don't want to start working horses quick; you might as well just have a race. We've got four weeks to get ready. There are a lot of things I love about Ellis anyway, and it gives me a chance to give back. They've always been good to me. Every time I've been in politics, I've won every time in Henderson. I know a lot of people down there. And I think Brian and Tommy are excited about doing this.

“You know what? My goal is, if this horse is as good I hope he is, that we can kind of call this Louisville's hope, all Louisville guys,” he said, jokingly adding, “It's like a basketball game — I'd ask for a 'white out' for all the people for us. It could be fun.”

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Castle Hill Gaming Makes First Historic Horse Racing Installation In Kentucky

Castle Hill Gaming, one of the nation's leading gaming software developers, has announced its first installation of Historic Horse Racing (HHR) machines in Kentucky. On July 11, Castle Hill installed 24 of machines at the Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.

As a proud member of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Castle Hill Gaming is delighted to support Kentucky's renowned horse racing industry.

“Castle Hill is excited to begin operations in Kentucky,” said Arthur Watson, CEO of Castle Hill Gaming. “We are proud of our quality fun machines that are already being enjoyed by patrons throughout the United States.”

HHR machines have raised $87 million in taxes in Kentucky since 2011, and $33 million of these taxes have supported Kentucky's thriving horse industry, an industry employing approximately 80,000 people and contributing $1.6 billion to the state's GDP.

Ellis Park is a longstanding fixture of Kentucky's horse racing history. Once limited to only live horse racing, Ellis Park is now on track to become a year-round entertainment and gaming destination bringing tourism and strengthening the local economy.

“The installation of Castle Hill's HHR machines is a part of our ongoing, exciting developments,” said Jeff Inman, General Manager of Ellis Park Racing and Gaming.

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‘We’ll Let The Horse Take Us Along’: Art Collector Could Use Ellis Park Derby As Springboard To Roses

If Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Art Collector races again before the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, it will be in the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby on Aug. 9 at Ellis Park.

Trainer Tom Drury said that Bruce Lunsford's Art Collector could run in the 1 1/8-mile Ellis Park Derby as a tightener if a streak hot weather would make him ease up in the colt's training. Art Collector secured a spot in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby after picking up 100,000 qualifying points for winning last Saturday's Grade 2, $600,000 Blue Grass by 3 1/2 lengths over the filly Swiss Skydiver. Ellis Park regular Brian Hernandez Jr. is Art Collector's jockey.

“No. 1, I'm just sure thankful that race is there,” Drury said of the Ellis Park Derby. “Ellis, I know they had to work hard to have their meet this year. To keep a race like that really helps us, keeps us from having to travel if we decide to go there. If I knew it was going to be 65 degrees every morning and I could train him exactly the way I wanted, I would probably say we're just going to train up to the Derby.

“But the first part of August, it could be crazy kind of weather. If that's the case, do you really want to be cranking on your horse (on a daily basis)? So I'm glad to know that race is there. I've met with Bruce and we've discussed it and decided we'll let the horse take us along; we're not going to take him. If we feel he needs another race, that is the only spot that's even in consideration. If we feel we don't need another race, we'll just train up to the big dance.”

The Ellis Park Derby marks a historic occurrence in track history, with Ellis Park only in position to have a Kentucky Derby prep because of the coronavirus-forced delay of the Churchill Downs classic. The Ellis Park Derby winner will receive 50 qualifying points — which should guarantee a spot in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby — but that's not a consideration for Drury.

“We're in a good spot now,” Drury said. “Before the Blue Grass, it was a little nerve-wracking. Because that was an all-or-nothing deal. Now that we got over that hurdle, it's almost like you can exhale a little bit. Now your whole thought process is on your horse. It's not on getting points to get there, or any of the other things going on around you. It's just focusing on the horse and doing what's right for him. You're not even thinking about the (Ellis Park Derby) purse.

“In all honesty, you don't even have to win that race. If you need that race as a tightener, it's there for you. If you don't, you don't. The good news is that everything seems to be in order at this point. He came out of the Blue Grass in good order and he's a happy horse. And usually that's a big part of being successful, having a horse that's on his game and happy and enjoying what he's doing.”

Another prominent horse under consideration for the Ellis Park Derby is Godolphin's Brad Cox-trained Shared Sense, who picked up 20 points toward Kentucky Derby qualifying in winning Indiana Grand's Grade 3, $300,000 Indiana Derby under Florent Geroux last week.

“The Ellis Park Derby is on the discussion table,” Darley America president Jimmy Bell, whose team also oversees Godolphin's American racing operation, said in an email response to an inquiry. “We obviously have some other options that we are considering as well. A little more time and we'll have a better idea as to which direction we're headed.”

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Ellis Park To Require Negative COVID-19 Test For All Jockeys, Backside Entrants

Effective immediately, Ellis Park Racing & Gaming has increased track and racing protocols/testing requirements.

All jockeys and valets must have a negative COVID-19 test result taken before being admitted to Ellis Park. Once a negative test is reported they will not need additional testing unless they leave the local area, Kentucky or ride/race at another racetrack.

All backside entrants, including jockeys who do leave the local area or the state of Kentucky after their initial test, will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test result taken within 48 hours before being re-admitted to Ellis Park.

ALL SHIP-INS will go directly to the Receiving Barn/assigned stall. All horsemen directed to the Receiving Barn/assigned stall may not enter any other area of the barn area except the track kitchen for carry-out food only.

Same day result testing is available in the Henderson area, but appointments must be made in advance. Please visit firstcareclinics.com or call 270-854-3196 for information or reservations.

For more information about Ellis Park's new cleaning and safety protocols, please visit www.ellisparkracing.com.

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