Kentucky Downs bumps purses 8 percent

Kentucky Downs will increase its overnight purses for its September meet by 8 percent after a strong showing for its casino over the past year, the track announced on Monday.

Kentucky Downs, which will run six all-turf racing days from Sept. 5-12, will now distribute an average of $876,000 a day in overnight races for Kentucky-bred horses, with maiden special weight races worth $135,000 and first-level allowance races worth $145,800, the track said. Second-level allowances will be worth $156,600.

Kentucky Downs, which is located near the border with Tennessee, generates the vast majority of its purse funding from a casino at the track. According to records of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, total wagering at the casino in the current fiscal year has jumped 78.9 percent through June. The casino has generated $11.2 million in KTDF funds for the fiscal year, according to the record.

Overall, Kentucky Downs now plans to distribute a total of $15.3 million in purses for the meet, with $10 million in stakes purses.