Four Ellis Park turf stakes to lead into Kentucky Downs meet

Officials at Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs announced Friday that four turf stakes worth as much as $100,000 apiece will be run on a new Kentucky Downs Preview Day, Aug. 5, at Ellis in western Kentucky.

The purse for each race will be $75,000, with another $25,000 in bonuses available to registered Kentucky-breds. Funded by Kentucky Downs through its lucrative historical-racing machine business, the Preview races are designed as preps for the rich Kentucky Downs meet, which runs Sept. 1-13.

“This is going to really fill a void in turf stakes in Kentucky for the summer,” Ellis owner Ron Geary said in a release.

The Ellis stakes schedule now goes from six to 10 races, with combined purses of up to $825,000. Ellis runs July 1 to Sept. 3.

◗ Bravazo, who has clinched a Kentucky Derby spot for D. Wayne Lukas by virtue of his upset in the Risen Star in February, was out for a serious breeze before dawn Friday, going five furlongs in 1:01.20, with a six-furlong out time of 1:16.40, according to Churchill clocker John Nichols.

◗ Following the fourth race Friday at Keeneland, trainer Chad Brown and jockey Jose Ortiz were presented by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association with the engraved Eclipse Award trophies they earned as the outstanding trainer and jockey for 2017.

◗ A memorial service for Mike Hargrave, the longtime stall superintendent at Churchill Downs, will be held April 23 at noon Eastern in the track’s Triple Crown Room. Hargrave died in January at age 69.