kentucky horse racing | Horse Racing Free Tips

New Chaplain Hired At Churchill Downs

The Kentucky Race Track Chaplaincy has named Pavel Urruchi as Churchill Downs's new chaplain, the track said in a release Wednesday morning.

Originally from Lima, Peru, Urruchi has a B.A. in Religion, an M.A. in Divinity, and he is working on a Ph.D. in Applied Theology. Bilingual in Spanish and English, the new chaplain has served for the past five years at Turfway and Belterra Parks.

“I am excited that Pavel has accepted this position, and I can assure you he is eager to build on the momentum of human connections already underway at CDRT alongside Women's Ministry Director Melanie Case, Children's Ministry Director Erica Williamson, and Ministry Coordinator Drew Lindman,” said Rich Gimmel, Director of Ministry Staff. “We are truly blessed to have Chaplain Pavel on our team, and we're excited to see his energy and his love for our Lord and His people brought to our Churchill Downs ministry.”

Chaplain Urruchi will be responsible for developing relationships with everyone in the backside community from the workers in the barns and on the track as well as the various organizations located there serving the racing community.

“Primarily, I am here to show them God's love in tangible ways,” said Urruchi, who is married with two kids. “In the end, I want everyone to experience the love of God, be transformed by Him and find a family to belong.”

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The Mint Event Center Opened At Kentucky Downs

The Mint Event Center was officially launched Wednesday morning with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by local, regional and state civic leaders and officials, including business representatives from Kentucky and Tennessee, The Mint Gaming and Kentucky Downs said in a release.

The Event Center is Simpson County's largest space for events and conventions, which is positioned as the area's newest location for weddings, parties, conferences, corporate meetings and live entertainment. The space can accommodate groups from 12 to 445 people.

“All the economic development you see here is exactly an example of that,” said co-managing partner of The Mint Gaming Hall Ron Winchell. “From our purchase of the property four years ago, we were committed to continuously improving and bringing more amenities to the area.”

Kentucky Senate Majority Floor Leader Damon Thayer added, “It's not just Kentucky Derby week. It's year-round. We have the best year-round racing circuit in the country now, and Kentucky Downs is a big part of that.”

Still under construction is the Summerly Event Lawn, an outdoor, artificial-turf space that can accommodate up to 190 guests. Both the indoor and outdoor areas will be available during the Kentucky Downs meet which will be held Aug. 31 and Sept. 2, 3, 7, 9, 10 and 13.

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KHRC Approves Transparency Regs

With zero debate or discussion preceding unanimous votes on two separate agenda items, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) on Tuesday adopted rewritten rules aimed at increasing transparency.

The major changes include lifting prohibitions on the public disclosure of alleged violations, new guidelines that establish a 60-day time frame for holding hearings, and the opening of those hearings to anyone who wants to observe them.

Tweaks to the equine drug-testing process are also in the pipeline. They include a requirement for owners and trainers to select an approved lab for split-sample testing within five days of being provided with the list of accredited facilities, and for the KHRC to send off the sample within seven days instead of “as expeditiously as possible.”

The KHRC on Apr. 26 approved the set of proposed changes that had been hammered out and unanimously recommended during a meeting of its rules committee one week earlier.

Rules changes at the commission level in Kentucky typically take about seven months to implement because the measures have to go through the state's separate administrative certification process.

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Letter to the Editor: Tom Hyland

This past Sunday was Opening Day at Ellis Park, and while this is rarely a day I mark on my calendar, as someone who loves to follow the major Thoroughbred circuits, I was interested to watch these initial races for the year. This was especially true, given the increased purses that Kentucky put in place, as well as the competition that was set to go that day.

One 2-year-old MSW featured horses trained by such notables as Bill Mott, Ken McPeek, Brian Lynch, Steve Asmussen and Brad Cox. An earlier maiden race on the turf that was won by a Brad Cox-trained colt included a horse trained by Chad Brown. Brown has entries in other races at Ellis this week, so kudos to Ellis for attracting him and other top trainers.

Yet, watching these races was not what I expected, as Ellis ranks with the worst-looking–or certainly the most boring–Thoroughbred tracks in the country. The oval is just plain dull and if you combine that with a video stream that is not as sharp as Churchill, Keeneland, Santa Anita, Belmont, etc, etc, you've got a pretty dismal viewing experience.

A note to the people who manage Ellis Park: how about making just a little effort to beautify the place? Plant some flowers, build a pond or two in the infield, do some serious landscaping. Do something to make your facility seem like a major league race track.

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