Two found dead in Ellis Park dormitories

Law-enforcement officers in Henderson, Ky., are investigating the overnight discovery of two men found dead in the dormitories on the backstretch of Ellis Park, the sheriff’s office said on Tuesday morning.

Officers were called to the track early Tuesday morning to respond to an “unconscious subject” on the backstretch who was later found dead “in his apartment on the backside of Ellis Park.” When directed to a person the dead person had been seen with earlier in the night, they found another man “deceased in his apartment.”

“After a preliminary investigation, we do no suspect foul play at this time, and there is no danger to the general public,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

:: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said that officials would not provide any additional information “at this time.”

Kevin Kerstein, a spokesman for Ellis Park’s parent company, Churchill Downs Inc., cited an “ongoing investigation” when declining to comment on the situation.

Through a representative, Alex Foley, the executive director of the Kentucky Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, also declined to comment, citing the open investigation.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.