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Ellis Park: Seven Individuals Quarantined After Testing Positive For COVID-19

Seven individuals working in the stable area at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky. have tested positive for COVID-19 and been quarantined, reports 14news.com. None were symptomatic; the individuals were tested as part of the track's protocols for beginning its live race meet on July 2. Six work for the same trainer, and the seventh was also closely associated with those individuals.

Six of those who tested positive have been quarantined inside the dorm, and the seventh has been quarantined at home. Contact tracing has also been initiated.

“As of right now, based on everything we know, based on the protocols we have in place in both the racing and gaming operations, we're confident we will be able to conduct our race meet, beginning the first day, opening day, July 2,” Skip Sayre, chief of sales and marketing for Laguna Development Corporation, told 14news.com. “As the backside opened, and the horses and personnel started coming in, we began testing those folks, so when this particular case came up, we were ready to move quickly and get those folks into quarantine and make sure we protected the integrity of the rest of the operation.”

Ellis Park 2020: No General Admission, But Reserved Seating Available To Fans

Tickets for reserved seating for the RUNHAPPY Summer Meet at Ellis Park to be held from July 2 to Aug. 30 are now on sale.

Seats, which will be required for admission, can be purchased through Ellisparkracing.com.

Following the directive from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's office, racetracks may begin having spectators on June 29 with up to 50 percent capacity. Ellis Park's 98th summer session begins Thursday, with racing through Sunday July 5 before taking a week off to allow Keeneland to run for five days in Lexington. Ellis Park resumes its Friday through Sunday format on July 17 through the end of the meet.

For the first weekend, Ellis Park seating will be available in the Sky Theatre, which is entirely smoke-free, and the second floor of the Clubhouse, where smoking is permitted. The Turf Club, which is between the Clubhouse and the grandstand, is available for parties of up to 25 people. Ellis will work to open additional outdoor seating as safety planning and preparations are made.

Because of safety precautions necessitated by the COVID-19 global pandemic, there will be no general admission seating available for this meet. With the exception of racehorse owners, spectators are required to have a ticketed seat, with food and beverages delivered by servers to those areas. The Dade Park Grill on the Clubhouse first floor in the Historical Horse Racing area will be the only concession stand open.

“We are opening seating to the public in a safe and prudent manner that adheres to state protocol,” said Ellis Park general manager Jeff Inman. “With this methodology, we have control over where people are during the races and can make sure they are safely separated. Additionally, protocol dictates that we must have the name and contact information for every guest coming to Ellis this summer. That's why we can only have reserved seating this meet. If one of our guests should subsequently test positive for COVID-19, we will know who was at the races that day, where they were seated and how to get in touch with them.

“We know these circumstances aren't ideal, and that going to the races at Ellis Park and enjoying our expansive grassy area and grandstand is a tradition for the Tri-State area. COVID-19 has changed a lot of standards, but we're pleased that we can allow spectators at the races in a safe and responsible fashion this summer.”

For opening week, the Sky Theatre will have 47 tables available, mostly four-tops, for a total capacity of 196 people, with 62 tables in the Clubhouse (for two, four and six people) for an additional 234 individuals. Clubhouse options include the Terrace Lounge area offering a view of the racetrack, the adjacent Thoroughbred Room (also used for year-round simulcasting) and the Gardenia Room.

Admission to the track for live racing is by reservation only. Race-day reservations will be accepted as space allows, but Ellis asks that everyone try to make plans in advance. An entire table must be purchased, with no partial tables sold due to social-distancing requirements. For the first week, the minimum age for reserved seating and HHR is 18 years old. Ellis is reviewing plans to allow additional guests and younger race fans later in the summer.

Access to Historical Horse Racing on the Clubhouse first floor is available on a first-come, first-served basis with gaming terminals adhering to the state's social-distancing standards. Guests with reserved seating, along with Historical Horse Racing players, must enter through the main gate and have a non-invasive thermal screening before being admitted.

Horse owners licensed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission can watch their horses run from the racetrack apron, where media members will also be allowed. Owners and the media should enter through the paddock pavilion entrance, where they will undergo thermal screening and have their name and contact information recorded. Media members must make arrangements with Ellis Park staff prior to arrival, as there is limited space available each racing day.

Ellis Park hopes to add two additional outdoor seating areas in phases as the summer progresses. First, 40 grandstand box seats opening later in July. The boxes, which will accommodate four people each, will be sold as reserved seating and also have food and beverage delivered by servers. A third phase could see six-seat picnic tables on the racetrack apron sometime in early August.

Should all of the phases become available, the maximum capacity will be 1,010 for live racing. Concession areas at the track will not be open during the meet.

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Rafael Bejarano, Julien Leparoux Making Plans To Ride At Ellis Park This Summer

Rafael Bejarano and Julien Leparoux — two of America's leading jockeys and who rank among horse racing's top 25 in all-time purse earnings — plan to make Ellis Park their summer base.

Also expected to ride much of the July 2-Aug. 30 meet are Joe Talamo and Martin Garcia, who are riding regularly in Kentucky for the first time after moving their tack from California. The result will be a further strengthening of the already tough Ellis Park jockey colony.

Leparoux had never been to Ellis Park before riding opening day last year. Meanwhile, Bejarano was the track's leading rider in 2003 and 2004 and came full circle in returning to Kentucky this spring after leaving for California 13 years ago.

“With all this drama, with the coronavirus, (people) attacking horse racing in California, I had no other choice but to come here,” Bejarano said. “There's a lot of competition in California and less horses…. All the good trainers are here right now. There are more choices, a lot of racetracks around here. The purses are good, and the horses are better. I love Churchill Downs. I love Ellis Park. They have a beautiful racetrack, beautiful turf course. Hopefully I can get the opportunities like I had a long time ago.

“I'm really happy to be here where I started, in Kentucky.”

Bejarano, who turned 38 on Tuesday, won a total of 14 riding titles in Kentucky, including at least one at each of the state's five tracks, before relocating to California in late 2007. Riding many of the top horses trained by the late Hall of Famer Bobby Frankel, Bejarano collected a plethora of Southern California meet titles that included a sweep of all five major meets in 2008.

Bejarano was the champion apprentice in his native Peru before coming to the United States in 2002, when he started riding in Ohio and Kentucky. Two years later he led the nation in wins with 455. The jockey had 4,069 career wins heading into Thursday and more than $205 million in purses (15th all-time), including five Breeders' Cup races.

In returning to where his career kicked off, Bejarano is reunited with Julio Espinoza, a prominent rider in Kentucky in the 1970s and into the 1990s who now is the jockey's agent. Though Bejarano lived with Espinoza's family before, this is the first time they've had a business relationship.

“I'm very happy to be with one of my best friends,” Bejarano said. “He's been like a dad to me, a good mentor. He's been friends with me for a long time, and now we have a chance to work together here in Kentucky.

“I can't wait to start at Ellis Park, seeing old friends. I enjoyed it a lot, even when I didn't speak a word of English.”

Bejarano acknowledges he'll be facing a much deeper riding colony than when he last rode at Ellis Park.

“It's going to more of a challenge (but) more opportunities,” he said. “California, it was only five, six horses in races. Here, everyone has a chance to ride. It will be better for building a new business here. A lot of good riders here, and that's good.”

Leparoux's mounts have won 2,729 races through Wednesday and almost $169 million (25th all-time) since he came over from his native France in 2003 as an exercise rider. He started riding races in 2005 at Saratoga and was voted the Eclipse Award champion apprentice the next year, winning 403 races and almost $12.5 million in purses. Leparoux also was voted the Eclipse Award jockey in 2009, with more than $18 million in purse earnings and 246 wins, highlighted by three Breeders' Cup victories. Leparoux has seven Breeders' Cup victories overall.

The 36-year-old Leparoux, a fixture at Churchill Downs and Keeneland, spent every previous summer of his career at Saratoga with the exception of 2013, when he was in California. He has earned 12 riding titles at Keeneland, nine at Churchill Downs, three at Turfway Park and two at Kentucky Downs.

Leparoux and his wife, Shea, have planned to stay in Kentucky this summer since last year. Their eldest son, Mitchell, will be in pre-school next month. Meanwhile, younger son Vinn isn't the only 2-year-old the jockey wants to be around this summer.

“Ellis Park, the meet is getting much stronger now,” Leparoux said. “A lot of 2-year-old races look like they're very tough. I think it makes sense to stay home. As long as we can stay together as a family, it's a big thing for us. The school in Kentucky starts in mid-August, so it's good to be home. And if I need to, I can still go to Saratoga for the weekend and come back. It works out well for us if we can stay at home and not move, which is not easy with two kids. It's great. We'll stay home and try to get some good business for later on in the year.”

Leparoux rode opening day last year, winning on one of three mounts, returning a few days later to ride in a stakes race.

“I went in opening day just to see how it was,” he said. “I know the track is good. The turf course is good, too. Safe.”

In coming to Ellis Park, the jockeys are following the path taken in recent years by notable riders such as Florent Geroux, Brian Hernandez Jr., Corey Lanerie and others who have stayed in Kentucky for the summer while maintaining the flexibility to head out of town for weekend stakes races.

“The horsemen stay in Kentucky more now,” Leparoux said. “They used to go to Saratoga, like us jockeys. I don't think they're sending as many horses as they used to. I think you'll see the jockeys stay in Kentucky more than in the past. A lot of good 2-year-olds came out of Ellis Park. It's the future; you ride those horses for the next year and hopefully you can be in the Kentucky Derby with them.”

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Ellis Park’s Aug. 9 Audubon Oaks Added To Churchill’s Road To The Kentucky Oaks

Ellis Park not only has the $200,000 Ellis Park Derby as a qualifying race for the rescheduled Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, the track's $100,000 Audubon Oaks is now a stop on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Both stakes races are Sunday Aug. 9.

Ellis Park's 98th annual meet will run from July 2 through August 30.

This year's Ellis Park Derby winner will receive 50 points, virtually ensuring a spot in the 20-horse Kentucky Derby under Churchill Downs' tiered system of qualifying races. Also earning points from the 1 1/8-mile race will be the runner-up (20), third place (10) and fourth (5). The seven-furlong Audubon Oaks, back on the Ellis Park stakes schedule after an 11-year hiatus, will offer a total of 17 points (10-4-2-1) for the top four finishers toward making the Sept. 4 Kentucky Oaks' 14-filly field.

“We cannot thank Churchill Downs enough for including the Audubon Oaks as one of its additions to the Kentucky Oaks points races,” said Ellis Park general manager Jeff Inman. “This is a huge and obviously historic opportunity for Ellis Park to have official prep races for the Derby and Oaks. We decided to bring the Audubon Oaks back off the shelf this year and being on the Kentucky Oaks schedule is a great way to welcome it back.

“We assume we will get horses trying to secure a spot in the Derby or Oaks, in addition we think our stakes are also positioned perfectly for horses who already have qualified but could benefit from a tune-up four weeks out. Trainers can stay put in Kentucky from now through the Derby and beyond, with the Breeders' Cup being at Keeneland this year. We're an easy ship from Churchill Downs, Keeneland and the state's training centers. With one of the best racing surfaces in the country, Ellis Park offers a convenient way to get in that final prep without the stress of significant travel.”

The Ellis Park Derby falls four weeks after Keeneland's Toyota Blue Grass and 4 1/2 weeks after Indiana Grand's Indiana Derby. The Audubon Oaks offers similar spacing from Keeneland's Ashland Stakes and Beaumont, as well as the Indiana Oaks.

Ellis Park has a tie to the past two winners of the Kentucky Oaks, with 2019 winner Serengeti Empress taking the 2018 Ellis Park Debutante and 2018 heroine Monomoy Girl training all summer at Ellis before launching her 2-year-old career.

The Ellis Park Derby could be a stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby for Lloyd Madison Farms' Major Fed, whose next start will be either the Blue Grass or the Indiana Derby, said trainer Greg Foley, who added that the Audubon Oaks could be a good fit for his filly Sconsin, a recent Churchill Downs allowance winner at 19-1 odds.

“I think it will be great for Ellis Park,” said the Louisville-based Foley. “Those people down there, they love that racing. It's sure coming in handy for them, the weird year we having. There will be people showing up for those points, and it's a great, safe racetrack. Those will probably come up pretty tough races.”

Brad Cox, a two-time leading trainer at Ellis Park, is among those welcoming the additions. Cox said that Godolphin Racing's Shared Sense, who finished second in a second-level allowance race June 13, and Rupp Racing's recently gelded Shake Some Action could be candidates for the Ellis Park Derby. Flurry Racing Stables' Shedaresthedevil, an impressive Churchill Downs allowance winner on June 5, could be a possibility for the Audubon Oaks, he said.

“It's good money,” Cox said of the Ellis Park Derby. “It's an opportunity they're giving us, and I'm hoping to have something for it.”

Owner Chester Thomas of Madisonville also hopes to participate in the Ellis Park Derby at what he considers his hometown track. One possibility could be the Bret Calhoun-trained Mr. Big News, winner of the April 11 Oaklawn Stakes at 46-1 odds in his last start.

“As someone who has been going to Ellis Park my entire life, I'm unbelievably excited about the track having a Kentucky Derby prep — although I'm hoping these are once-in-a-lifetime circumstances and we never have to deal with a coronavirus again,” said Thomas, a two-time Ellis Park leading owner. “But it's a great opportunity to have Derby contenders coming to Ellis Park, and hopefully we can have something in the Ellis Park Derby starting gate and, even better, in the winner's circle.”

Ellis Park 2020 stakes

July 5 — $50,000 Ellis Park Turf Stakes, fillies & mares 3 years old & up, 1 1/16 miles (turf).
July 26 — $50,000 Good Lord Stakes, 3-year-olds & up, 6 1/2 furlongs.
Aug. 2 (all on turf) — $100,000* Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint, fillies & mares 3 years old & up, 5 1/2 furlongs; $100,000* Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup, 3-year-olds & up, 1 1/4 miles; $100,000* Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf, fillies & mares 3 years old &up, mile); $100,000* Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint, 3-year-olds & up, 5 1/2 furlongs; $100,000* Kentucky Downs Preview Tourist Mile, 3-year-olds & up, mile.
Aug. 9 — $200,000* Ellis Park Derby, 3-year-olds; 1 1/8 miles; $100,000* Audubon Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs; $100,000* Ellis Park Juvenile, 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs; $100,000* Ellis Park Debutante, 7 furlongs.
*-includes $25,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund

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