Kentucky Downs cancels plans to allow spectators at meet

Kentucky Downs in Franklin, Ky., has canceled plans to allow a limited number of spectators ontrack at its upcoming six-day Runhappy meet in September, citing recent surges in coronavirus positives in Kentucky and Tennessee, the state immediately to its south.

In a press release, the track said that any tickets that have already been sold for the meet will be refunded. The track had initially planned to allow some reserved grandstand seating and to enable patrons to access outdoor areas, but those plans have been scrapped.

“We feel it’s in our guests’ best interests and the state’s best interest to not have spectators,” said Ted Nicholson, general manager of the track, in a press release. “No one is more disappointed than us to have to make this difficult call. We know our unique meet, with its full fields and country-fair atmosphere, has become a ritual for many racing enthusiasts and a popular entertainment destination for the region.”

Officials for the track did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The track is barring spectators despite allowing patrons into its casino from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. Monday through Friday and 24 hours a day on the weekends. The casino reopened June 10 under protocols hashed out in consultation with the state.

Casino patrons are required to wear masks at all times other than when eating or drinking, and two out of every three machines have been turned off to allow for easier compliance with social-distancing protocols. The casino at Kentucky Downs draws a majority of its patrons from the Nashville metropolitan area 45 miles to the south.

In the last fiscal year, from July 2019 through June 2020, handle at the Kentucky Downs casino was $838.1 million, down 10 percent from the previous fiscal year, according to records of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. The decline in handle was entirely due to the casino being shut down from mid-March this year until early June due to the coronavirus pandemic. Kentucky Downs earned $53.7 million in commissions on the 2020 fiscal year handle amount.

In July, handle at the casino was $103.3 million, according to KHRC figures, up 19.1 percent over July 2019, even with the coronavirus protocols in place. The track’s owners earned $6.7 million in commissions on the handle figure.

Kentucky Downs is scheduled to race on Sept. 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 16 this year, running all of its races on turf. The track plans to distribute $16 million in total purses during its six-day meet, when including bonuses available to Kentucky-bred horses, including $8.6 million in stakes purses. The purse account is heavily subsidized by the track’s casino.