Ellis raises purses another 10 percent

Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., has announced a 10-percent purse increase for the final six-day stretch of its summer meet, with officials attributing the hike primarily to the business success of the Aug. 16 Gardenia Day program. The increase is the second of the meet, following a 5-percent raise starting Aug. 13.

In addition, purses for all maiden-special and allowance races will receive an additional $3,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund. The Aug. 13 increase excluded KTDF money.

The lone remaining stakes of the meet, the $50,000 Tri-State Handicap on Saturday, is not affected by the purse increases.

The final six days of the 39-day meet are Wednesday through Labor Day, Sept. 1. The meet originally was scheduled for 44 days, but the first week, July 4-8, was canceled when a standoff between horsemen and management over account-wagering revenue threatened to close the track for good.