New owners of Ellis Park planning major renovations

HENDERSON, Ky. – The new owners of Ellis Park reiterated their commitment to horse racing when detailing plans to sink tens of millions of dollars into the aging facility during a media briefing Friday in the clubhouse of this 97-year-old track.

“We see this as a tremendous business opportunity,” said Skip Sayre, who was among several officials representing the new ownership entity, Ellis Entertainment LLC, at the briefing. “We are looking to restore Ellis to its iconic status and make it an attraction that customers can enjoy and appreciate.”

Ellis Entertainment is a subsidiary of Laguna Development Corporation, a diversified investment and operating company owned by the Pueblo of Laguna Native American tribe of New Mexico.

Founded in 1922, Ellis has undergone a number of ownership changes through the years. Churchill Downs sold the track in 2006 to Ron Geary, who sold it last year to Saratoga Casino & Hospitality Group.

On June 18, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission approved the sale to Laguna while granting approval for Ellis to operate up to 1,200 slot-like devices known as historical horse racing machines, nearly triple the amount currently in operation here. Projected purse payouts for the current Ellis meet are at an all-time high, and other Kentucky tracks also have benefitted substantially from the machines.

Ken Mimmack, project director for Ellis Entertainment, said work on a renovated turf course and lights for night racing will begin as soon as the current meet ends Sept. 2 and will be ready in time for the 2020 meet. A far-reaching second phase of redevelopment with a projected cost of $55 million to $60 million will begin in late 2019 or early 2020, with construction scheduled for completion in November 2020.

The massive makeover will include major backstretch improvements as well as an expansive gaming and entertainment facility to be used for concerts and other special events.

“This facility lends itself fantastically to such things,” said Mimmack.

“It’s tremendously exciting that Ellis Park is becoming what it could be and should be,” said Ellis racing secretary Dan Bork. “We’re doing well here, but there’s so much more potential to do even better. We’re looking to be a premier meet.”

The 2019 Ellis meet consists of 29 dates on a three-day-a-week schedule, but the new owners said they probably will ask for more dates for future meets. Requests for 2020 dates are due to the commission in late September.

Mimmack said a third phase of new construction that includes a hotel and other projects is contingent on the company’s dealings with local and state agencies and feasibility studies. “That’s maybe three or four years down the road,” he said.