Ellis Park

A tractor driver had a medical emergency during track maintenance prior to Friday's fifth race that resulted in the tractor hitting the inner rail of the dirt track at Ellis Park. The driver was taken to the hospital via ambulance. Ellis Park did not identify the employee, citing health privacy laws. The rail was damaged about the sixteenth pole and was unable to be immediately repaired, forcing the fifth and seventh races to be moved from the main track to the turf course. Track General Manager Jeff Inman said that...

Kentucky HBPA College Day is back at Ellis Park this Sunday after a COVID-19 forced year hiatus. Full-time college students can enter a drawing to win an iPad Mini or a $1,000 scholarship after each of Sunday's races. The Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents racehorse owners and trainers at the state's five Thoroughbred tracks, is sponsoring the iPad Mini giveaway and is teaming with Ellis Park for the $1,000 scholarships. "College Day is an investment in our industry's future," said Marty Maline, executive director of the Kentucky...

3rd-Ellis, $51,000, Msw, 7-17, 2yo, 5f, :57.94, gd, 5 lengths. ROGER MCQUEEN (c, 2, Unified--Promise Me a Cat {SW, $320,820}, by D'wildcat) was third in his five-furlong unveiling at Churchill May 22. The 3-5 favorite battled on the front end through a quarter in :22.29, took command after a half in :45.76 and pulled away to score by five lengths. Back to Normal (Liam's Map) issued a midstretch challenge before settling for second. Roger McQueen is the second winner for his freshman sire (by Candy Ride {Arg}). He was a...

Officials at Ellis Park have announced the creation of the Tri-State S., an overnight stakes worth $60,000 for males 3-year-olds and upward at the distance of one mile over the main track. The race will be carded Aug. 7 and will share the program with a trip of turf stakes as part of the Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend at the Henderson, Kentucky, track. "This fills a void for older males going long on dirt," racing secretary Dan Bork said. "We have the Good Lord for sprinters, and the mile distance...

2nd-Ellis, $52,460, Alw (NW2$X)/Opt. Clm ($40,000), 7-10, 3yo/up, f/m, 6 1/2f, 1:16.18, gd, 4 1/2 lengths. CARRIBEAN CAPER (f, 3, Speightstown--Checkupfromzneckup {SP, $187,470}, by Dixie Union) continued to justify the 'TDN Rising Star' distinction with her third win from as many starts Saturday. An eight-length romper at Fair Grounds Feb. 13, good for an 87 Beyer Speed Figure, the dark bay took a Keeneland optional claimer by 4 1/2 lengths going seven panels Apr. 2 and was pounded down to 1-5 off the brief freshening here. She was off a...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 7th-ELP, $51K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 6f, post time: 2:02 p.m. ET Some particularly well-bred and expensive sophomore fillies are set to debut Saturday at Ellis Park. Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt, Madaket Stables and Spendthrift Farm's confidently named Upandcomingstar (Into Mischief) has been prepped for this by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen. The $500,000 KEESEP yearling is out of 2010 GIII Azeri S. winner Freedom Star (Street Cry {Ire}). Larry Best's OXO Equine, meanwhile, will be represented by Brad Cox-trained Palm Cottage (American Pharoah). A $575,000...

6th-Ellis, $51,000, Msw, 7-1, 2yo, 5f, :57.41, sy, nose. COSTA TERRA (c, 2, Gun Runner--Teardrop {SP}, by Tapit), the 9-5 favorite, was hustled out of the gate, but could not keep pace with the early leaders who separated themselves from the field as the favorite fell well off the pace in a strung-out field. Buckingham Prince (Klimt) battled on the front end through an opening quarter in :22.37, had sole command of the lead after a quarter in :45.35 and looked home free, but Costa Terra was finding his best...

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...

6th-Ellis, $51,000, Msw, 6-27, 2yo, f, 5f, :59.47, ft, 3/4 length. J L'S ROCKETTE (f, 2, Into Mischief--Meta Mu, by Street Sense), a $750,000 OBS April grad off a :9 4/5 bullet breeze, began repaying that investment Sunday for the same connections who campaign fleet-footed MGSW Frank's Rockette (Into Mischief). Dueling inside of a foe early through :22.12 opening quarter, the bay shook free at the top of the stretch as another runner went wrong and lost her rider. J L's Rockette had five or six on her remaining competition...

In accordance with the CDC and Commonwealth of Kentucky, Ellis Park will be open at full capacity for its live race meet June 27 to Sept. 4. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced that June 11 all mask restrictions and capacity restrictions will be lifted in the commonwealth. Tickets will go on sale May 19. The Governor's announcement stated that vaccinated individuals no longer need to wear a mask nor socially distance from each other in public settings. Based on this guidance, Ellis Entertainment has stopped enforcing mask restrictions at the...

On the same day it was announced trainer Todd Pletcher had so deservedly been chosen as a member of racing's Hall of Fame, another conditioner confirmed to Daily Racing Form's Marty McGee that he was retiring at the conclusion of the Churchill Downs meeting next month. This was the first year Pletcher was eligible and the announcement certainly came as a surprise to no one. Pletcher is one of the most successful trainers of all time, having won more than 5,000 races and holding the earnings record (increasing every day)...

Average daily purses are expected to top $350,000 at this summer's Ellis Park meeting, highest in the track's 99-year history, according to racing secretary Dan Bork. Bork said purses for maiden races will likely top the record $50,000 achieved in 2019 before the pandemic forced cutbacks last year in the wake of a three-month shutdown. Those numbers include Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund supplements. Ellis Park released its 2021 stakes schedule Sunday. The schedule features 14 stakes races and the Henderson track has expanded its Kentucky Downs Preview Day to an...