Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky, generated record handle for the third year in a row during its recently completed summer meet, according to an analysis conducted by Daily Racing Form, continuing an upward swing since the track was purchased by Churchill Downs Inc. in the fall of 2022.
Total handle during the 25-day meet was $77.0 million, up 5.9 percent, according to the analysis, while average handle per race jumped 6.4 percent. The average purse was a record $82,785 during the meet, up 24.6 percent.
Purses at all Kentucky tracks have been fattened by subsidies from gambling devices similar to slot machines that are only legal at facilities tied to racetrack owners. Churchill bought Ellis Park for $79 million in September 2022 and immediately set about finishing construction of a casino nearby tied to the license.
Handle on races at Kentucky tracks has doubled over the past decade due to the growth in purses, which has attracted horsemen from other jurisdictions where racing is struggling. Ellis Park used to be a weak link on the Kentucky circuit, along with Turfway Park in the winter, but purses at both tracks have risen so high over the past three years that even high-profile trainers from other regions keep strings in the state year-round.
Still, the average field size at Ellis Park dipped this year compared to last year, at 8.22 horses per race, down from 8.50 horses per race last year. Tracks across the U.S. are struggling to generate field-size gains this summer due to a prolonged drop in the foal crop, stricter veterinary regulations designed to identify at-risk horses, and a surfeit of racing dates in the summer that gives horsemen plenty of options.
While all metrics but field size for Ellis were up for the meet, the gains slowed compared to last year, when total handle was up 20.2 percent and average handle per race was up 14.4 percent. The average purse for races last year was $66,443, only slightly higher than the 2023 meet.
On the track, Tyler Gaffalione came back to the saddle from an injury and took the riding title with 28 wins from only 99 mounts. His runners earned $2.3 million in purses. Six of the wins came on Aug. 10, when Gaffalione rode the winners of four stakes races.
Steve Asmussen, the Hall of Fame trainer, had 15 wins to lead all trainers, earning $1.2 million in purses. Brendan Walsh was second with 11 wins.
Godolphin, the international racing and breeding operation, took the owner’s title for the first time at Ellis, winning nine races from 30 starts.
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