Kentucky Downs sets handle records

Even with just four of five dates in the books, Kentucky Downs already has surpassed its all-time all-sources handle for a meet.

Aggregate handle into the Thursday finale stands at $24,567,471, eclipsing the $22.5 million that was bet last year over five days. Even more impressive is that the 2017 meet will include just one Saturday of racing versus two in 2016.

The top two days in track history came last weekend when nearly $8.5 million was bet Saturday and a little more than $6 million Sunday.

Maker, Leparoux top standings

Regardless of whether the weather permits Kentucky Downs to run its Thursday finale, Mike Maker will top all trainers in starts, wins, and money won for the third straight year. Through Sunday, he has 6 wins from 35 starts and nearly $1.2 million in stable earnings.

Julien Leparoux, in search of his first outright Kentucky Downs title (he tied in 2014 with Rosie Napravnik), leads the jockey standings with six wins and $1,043,650 in earnings. Perennial leading owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey are tops in their category again with three wins.

◗ Given the huge purses being paid out at the abbreviated Kentucky Downs meet, it should come as little wonder that a half-dozen horses are entered back Thursday on short rest in trying for a second start at the meet.

Those horses are Frozen Hannah in the first; Wagon Boss, Tia Flor, and Zambian in the third; Tobias in the fifth; and Thrice in the seventh.

◗ Jockey Chris Landeros missed his Saturday mounts at Kentucky Downs, and for good reason: his wife, Shelby, had their first child that afternoon. Their newborn son, Beckham Wilkes Landeros, also is the first grandchild for trainer Ian Wilkes and his wife, Tracey.