Ellis Park

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Ellis Park Racing Schedule: Monday, Wednesday through Sunday Racing Dates 2009: July 4 - September 3 Post Times: 12:40 p.m. Ellis Park Location: Henderson, Kentucky Ellis Park Official Website: www.ellisparkracing.com

Ellis Park Facts:

Ellis Park was designed with an eye for "down home charm". The groundbreaking ceremonies for Ellis Park (then Dade Park) began in 1922. The construction was completed only six months after the ribbon cutting ceremony. By early November of that year, the first meet was held at Ellis Park, which featured thoroughbreds thundering around the circuit chasing their share of the $62,000.00 purse.

Despite the high expectations and a public hunger for horse betting, this Henderson County Kentucky horse racing venue stumbled out of the gate, finding itself on the auction block within two years. It was here that James C. Ellis saved the fledging track, purchasing the facility for $35,100 or 11% of the original construction price. James C. Ellis renamed the track to Ellis Park Race Track.

Ellis Park thrived under the direction of James Ellis until his death in 1956, at which time relatives handled management of Ellis Park. Ellis's relatives continued to build upon Park's legacy, constantly reinvesting in the facility while remaining loyal to the original architecture.

Through the years, Ellis Park would undergo changes and improvements that most horse racing venues of the era experienced. These improvements included the addition of a totalizator system to help fans track finishes, installation of a modern judges stand, increased grandstand seating, additional betting windows and to help with race coverage and track promotion, a spacious and modern press box.

Ellis Park Race Track is a healthy racetrack that fills its allotted 210 acres. Ellis Park can seat 6,000 horse racing fans in its main grandstand. The main course is a one and one-eighth mile oval. Ellis Park provides stabling for up to 1,300 horses. Ellis Park Race Track is truly a great horse race betting track.

This year's schedule features thirty-six days of great horse race betting action. There will be ten stakes races with total purses of $650,000. Ellis Park is bringing back the highly anticipated "Big Four Stakes Saturday". The Big Four Stakes Saturday will feature four stakes races with the headliner being on the 25th running of the Grade III $150,000 - guaranteed Gardenia Handicap. It's the only graded stakes event held at Ellis Park and it's not to be missed.

Now a holding of the Churchill Downs Company, Ellis Park offers just over $1,000,000 in annual purse money, divided up amount 14 stake races, with the showcase event being the Gardenia Handicap. The Gardenia Handicap is a one mile race for fillies and mares that are ages 3 and up. It's a showdown to the finish line each and every year. The Gardenia Handicap is one Ellis Park horse racing you don't want to miss. The Gardenia Handicap is a one mile long race that's held on dirt. The purse for the Gardenia Handicap is $150,000. It's held at the beginning of August every year.

This year will be a great year for Ellis Park horse racing. Every stakes race will carry a $50,000 guarantee. The Ellis Park Breeders' Cup Turf is going to be a featured event this year instead of being just another great stakes race included in the Big Four Stakes Saturday. The great Ellis Park horse racing action will start with the HBPA Handicap, which is a horserace for fillies and mares that are at ages three and up. The HBPA Handicap runs one mile long and is on turf.