Kentucky Horse Racing Commission unsure when racing will begin again in state
In a dates committee meeting on Thursday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said it was not ready to advise when Kentucky tracks could resume live racing.
Some other takeaways from the meeting
▪ The possibility of Keeneland adding new dates to make up for its canceled spring meet was not discussed.
▪ Churchill Downs President Kevin Flanery said his track would consider racing without spectators for its spring meet if Gov. Andy Beshear’s healthy-at-home order is lifted.
▪ “We did that at Turfway Park until the healthy-at-home orders were put in place,” Flanery said. “If that’s the conditions, we will be prepared for it.”
▪ Flanery said the track would probably make a decision early next week whether to allow horses to enter the backside on April 14, as had been previously announced.
▪ There are no horses or anyone living at the facility at present.
▪ Turfway Park, which is also owned by Churchill Downs, currently has 800 horses on the track grounds and about 120 individuals living at the facility. “We are not accepting additional horses,” Flanery said.
▪ Ellis Park is closed and does not have any horses at the facility at this time. The track has furloughed two-thirds of its employees so they can still receive benefits, said owner Ken Mimmack.
▪ Mimmack said that right now Ellis Park is operating under the belief its meet will start on June 28.
▪ Keeneland currently has 600 horses and about 150 grooms on site at its facility.
▪ Bob Elliston, Keeneland’s vice president of racing and sales, said the track would consider racing without spectators whenever racing resumed. “We are open to whatever,” he said.
▪ Kentucky Downs does not have any horses at its facility currently. There is work being done on the turf course, said senior vice president Ted Nicholson.
▪ Shannon Cobb, chief operating officer for Red Mile, said her track was also open to racing without spectators if necessary. Its live harness racing dates are to begin Aug. 2.
This story was originally published April 2, 2020 at 4:00 PM.
