jeff inman | Horse Racing Free Tips

Ellis Park To Feature Record Purses, High-Def Broadcast, Full Fan Capacity

Ellis Park's 99th season will feature record purses, horse races shown in high-definition and arguably its deepest jockey roster ever. But what is Ellis Park General Manager Jeff Inman most fervently awaiting?

Crowds. Having people back at the 31-date RUNHAPPY Meet at Ellis Park session that begins Sunday June 27 and ends Saturday Sept. 5.

Because of the pandemic, Ellis last year was limited to socially-distanced reserved seating and no general admission. The 2021 meet will return to full capacity, with free general admission. Tickets for Clubhouse and Sky Theatre dining and grandstand boxes can be purchased at ellisparkracing.com/admissions or by calling 812-435-8918. Ellis runs Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays along with Thursday July 1. Post time for the first race each day is 12:50 p.m. CDT.

“We're looking forward to the roar of the crowd and getting back to what has made Ellis Park so popular for so many generations in the Tri-State region,” Inman said. “This is going to be the first year that we're broadcasting in high-def. We'll get our race signal out to more people. More people will see Ellis than ever. That's fantastic and can't be underestimated. Even so, what we're really excited about is getting fans back in the stands.”

Starting open day, those crowds again will be able to enjoy Sunday Funday Dollar Days, the weekly $2 16-ounce domestic draft beer and $1 hotdogs, peanuts and popcorn. That was among the promotions revealed at Thursday's annual Media Day at Ellis Park. Other promotions include Military and First Responders Weekend July 1-4, Teachers Appreciation Weekend July 9-11, Ladies Weekend (Fillies and Fun) July 16-18, Men's Weekend (Studs and Buds) Aug. 20-22 and Healthcare Workers Weekend Aug. 27-29. There will be live music every Saturday and a “Talk Derby to Me” Ellis Park Derby Party on Sunday Aug. 15.

Racing enthusiasts on-track and off-site will appreciate Ellis Park broadcasting its races in high definition for the entire meet. For the second year in a row, Ellis Park's stakes-laden programs on Aug. 7, 8 and 15 are expected to be shown on the racing network TVG's main channel. LTN Global, the media-technology company that last year worked with TVG to broadcast Ellis' big days, will oversee the entire meet's production.

Henderson's Bill Latta is among the racing fans with great anticipation for a gangbuster meet. Latta, the retired president of Field & Main Insurance, has attended the Ellis Park races every year for the past 65 seasons, since he was a tyke going to the track with his parents.

“I think they're going to have nice crowds,” Latta, one of the featured Media Day speakers, said before the event. “People are wanting to get out. There's a base of racing fans around this Tri-State area — southern Illinois, southern Indiana, Kentucky – who are starved for local racing.”

Ellis Park will open its gates at 8 a.m. CT on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, with the Gardenia Room on the Clubhouse second floor serving breakfast. Henderson's J & B Bar-B-Cue will return with a stand underneath the grandstand on race days. Inman said that Ellis is working to get local food trucks to provide a variety of fare in the beer garden area near the paddock.

For the second year in a row, the meet will be sponsored by the Claiborne Farm stallion Runhappy, whose 2015 season as champion sprinter was kicked off by an allowance victory at Ellis. RUNHAPPY, whose name is capitalized when used in racing sponsorships, will also be the title sponsor of four stakes on Aug. 15: the the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby (which last year was captured by Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass winner Art Collector), $125,000 RUNHAPPY Groupie Doll, $125,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Juvenile and $125,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Debutante. All the meet's 2-year-old races will be presented by RUNHAPPY.

Purses are scheduled to average an Ellis-record $350,000 a day, with maiden races going for $51,000 for Kentucky-bred horses. The 16-stakes schedule includes two new races for the highly successful Kentucky Downs Preview program, which has expanded from five to seven grass stakes while morphing from one day into a weekend, Aug. 7-8. Winners of Kentucky Downs Preview stakes, which carry purses of at least $100,000, receive a fees-paid berth in the corresponding stakes at Kentucky Downs' all-turf meet in early September.

Five dirt stakes take center stage on Aug. 15, the RUNHAPPY quartet and the $100,000 Audubon Oaks for 3-year-old fillies at seven-eighths of a mile.

The Ellis Park jockey colony will feature the bulk of Churchill Downs' elite roster. Among those returning will be 2020 Ellis champion rider Joe Talamo and past meet leaders Corey Lanerie, Rafael Bejarano, James Graham, Brian Hernandez Jr. and Jon Court, along with two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux. Leading riders from Indiana Grand such as Marcelino Pedroza, DeShawn Parker and Fernando De La Cruz also plan to ride regularly at Ellis. Notable newcomers include David Cabrera, Drayden Van Dyke and Francisco Arrieta.

“I didn't think we could top last year's jockey lineup, but we are adding even more depth,” said Jeff Hall, Ellis Park's Director of Racing Operations. “Our racing just keeps getting better, too, with current standouts such as Sconsin, Midnight Bourbon and Crazy Beautiful — and of course, Art Collector — running here last summer. I can't wait to see what comes out of our 2021 'baby' races and stakes. It will be fun for our fans to be able to say, 'I saw them race at Ellis Park!'”

Ellis Park 2021 stakes schedule
Each includes $25,000 KTDF*

Sunday July 4 — $75,000 Ellis Park Turf, fillies & mares, 3 years old & up; 1 1/16 miles (turf); $60,000 Dada Park Dash Overnight Stakes, 3-year-olds, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf).

Saturday July 17 — $75,000 Good Lord, 3-year-olds & up, 6 1/2 furlongs.

Sunday July 18 — $60,000 Pea Patch Overnight Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf).

Saturday Aug. 7 — $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1 1/16 miles (turf); Kentucky Downs Preview Dueling Grounds Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles (turf); $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Sprint, 3-year-olds & up, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf).

Sunday Aug. 8 — $125,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Turf Cup, 3-year-olds & up, 1 1/4 miles (turf); Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Sprint, fillies & mares 3 years olds & up, 5 1/2 furlongs (turf); $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf, fillies & mares 3 years old & up, one mile (turf); $100,000 Kentucky Downs Preview Mint Million Mile, 3-year-olds & up, mile (turf).

Sunday Aug. 15 — $200,000 Ellis Park Derby, 3-year-olds, 1 1/8 miles; $125,000 Groupie Doll, fillies & mares, 3 years old and up, mile; $125,000 Ellis Park Juvenile, 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs; $125,000 Ellis Park Debutante, 2-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs; $100,000 Audubon Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs.

*Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund

Ellis Park condition book
EP condition book index

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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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Ellis Park Kicks Off Runhappy Summer Meet With Limited Attendance

The RUNHAPPY Summer Meet at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., kicked off Thursday with what is the new normal, at least for now: capacity limited to 50 percent in two reserved-seat areas and no general admission. To Henderson Mayor Steve Austin, just staging an opening day with any spectators was a victory after the havoc the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked on the world, including horse racing.

“It's great,” Austin said. “We were concerned that maybe we weren't able to have an opening day at Ellis Park. It is limited participation, but it's great to have that. I'm glad the governor worked with Ellis Park and the tracks to get some folks in right now and maybe the possibility of increasing attendance in the future. It's something people look forward to. It's an annual event, kind of like baseball, every summer Ellis Park opens. So it's great that Ellis Park is opening today, and great that we have a number of people here – and it'll be even better once it can be enlarged as far as attendance.”

Four of Thursday's races were forced off the turf by the deluge of rain in recent days. All the same, a healthy total of $2,212,620 was wagered on the nine-race card, the majority across the country through online betting platforms as most racetracks that are running are doing so without spectators.

“It's been a tough few months for Ellis Park and the whole community, and I was really pleased that we could put together this race day today,” said Ellis Park general manager Jeff Inman. “The community pulled together and supported us. The staff pulled together and supported us, and I couldn't be prouder of everybody.”

If it was a unique opening day, with the seating limitations, Inman said: “I think the fans overall are positive…. A few people are disappointed that they can't be on the rail or in the grandstand. But most of them are really happy and positive that we actually have live racing again.”

Inman acknowledged some opening-day operational glitches, specifically with the race video camera work.

“We lost a few cameramen at the last minute; we desperately tried to get them hired,” he said. “Our camera work today wasn't our best. We're working on it, and working to have that problem fixed as quickly as possible.”

The strength of the jockey colony lived up to its billing.

James Graham, last year's leading rider at the meet, took the early lead by winning the first race on the maiden-claimer Smirk for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. Graham followed that with victory on Calumet Farm's Easy Shot in the sixth race, a second-level allowance race that came off the turf.

Rafael Bejarano, back riding at Ellis Park regularly for the first time since he left for California in 2007, didn't waste any time getting back in the winner's circle, either, taking the second race on the $16,000 claimer Gangly for trainer Ron Moquett.

The first 2-year-old race of the meet was won by the first-time starter All I Know, who shipped in from Keeneland for owner-trainer Jason McCutchen. All I Know paid $41.60 to win after leading all the way under Crystal Conning in the five-furlong race to prevail by 1 1/2 lengths over 9-1 Fast Bob, with favored Looting third. Conning is an apprentice jockey who has won with six of her last 12 mounts, including her last three – one each at Ellis, Belterra and Indiana Grand. She began riding last year.

Julien Leparoux, who will ride regularly at Ellis Park for the first time this summer after going to Saratoga for most of his career, won the finale aboard the maiden Not A Problem for trainer Rusty Arnold.

“Especially because some of the situations we've faced, we've really been blessed with a lot of talented jockeys this year,” Inman said. “And that is really part of what we can offer this year. We were blessed to get the RUNHAPPY sponsorship, and one of the reasons we did was because of the great 2-year-old program that we have here at Ellis Park. We have some really good horses, we have some really good jockeys. There's going to be a lot to look forward to this meet.”

Ellis Park runs through Sunday, then is closed for live racing (while remaining open for Historical Horse Racing gaming and simulcasting) next week to accommodate Keeneland's five-date make-up meet. Ellis resumes live racing July 17 with a Friday through Sunday format through Aug. 30, with the track's traditional closing seeking turned over to Churchill Downs for a delayed Kentucky Derby Week.

Management is hoping that after the break for Keeneland, additional areas in the grandstand boxes and picnic tables on the racetrack apron will be available for the public as reserved seating.

“We have to have contract tracing (ability), so we have to do seats by reservations,” Inman said. “So if you come here hoping to be on the lawn or the grandstand, we're not there yet.”

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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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