Stability arrives at Ellis Park
It wasn’t long ago that many Kentucky trainers, out of economic necessity, would take their stables out of state for July and August. The purse structure at Ellis Park wasn’t sufficient to make staying put feasible, so Saratoga or Delaware or Arlington became their summer homes.
But during the tenure of Ron Geary, who purchased Ellis from Churchill Downs Inc. in 2006, things have turned around. Virtually every major stable based in Kentucky from April through November will maintain a presence as Ellis begins its 30-day meet on Sunday, giving the Kentucky circuit a certain stability and continuity that had been lacking.
“This is the 12th year I’ve been here since we bought the track from Churchill Downs right after the tornado,” Geary said at a recent media briefing at Ellis in Henderson, Ky., referring to a tornado that ravaged the track on Nov. 6, 2005.
“It was a struggle whether they were going to want to keep it open, and we worked something out. I’m so glad we did. It’s not been the easiest turnaround I’ve been involved with, but when you look at our purse money – $230,000 a day compared with $135,000 when we took it over – we’ve made a lot of progress. It hasn’t gone as fast as any of us want it to, but I’m very pleased where we are.”
Obviously, revenues from the historical racing terminals that have proliferated at state tracks in recent years have made life easier for the track owners. Geary has worked closely with Corey Johnsen of Kentucky Downs and Marty Maline of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association on deals that primarily benefit Ellis, Kentucky Downs, and the state’s horsemen. The $2.9 million that Kentucky Downs has contributed to Ellis purses this summer – “jaw-dropping” and “unparalleled,” as Maline described it – has been a huge factor in further strengthening the circuit beyond the major meets at Churchill and Keeneland. The Ellis meet runs through Sept. 3.
“It’s been a win-win for everybody,” said trainer Dale Romans, who will maintain a sizable portion of his stable at Churchill through the summer. “Ellis Park is on the way up.”
