Ellis Park purses to average a record $330,000 per day; one addition to stakes schedule

Record purses will be offered at the 29-day summer meet at Ellis Park in western Kentucky, where officials are projecting per-day payouts of about $330,000. That figure is more than double the $155,000 average paid out in 2015.

The stakes schedule remains virtually the same, with one addition to Kentucky Downs Preview Day on Aug. 4. In all, nine stakes worth at least $100,000 are on the schedule, led by the annual meet highlight, the Grade 3, $125,000 Groupie Doll on Aug. 11.

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The bump in purse money comes largely from revenue accrued from on-site historical racing machines and a $5 million transfer from Kentucky Downs through an agreement brokered by the Kentucky division of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association. The meet runs June 29 to Sept. 2.