Record Purses for Upcoming Ellis Park Meet

Ellis Park's 99th season will feature record purses, races now televised in high-definition, and arguably its deepest jockey roster ever. But what is Ellis Park general manager Jeff Inman most fervently awaiting?

Crowds. Having people back at the 31-date summer season at Ellis Park that begins June 27 and ends Sept. 4.

Because of the pandemic, Ellis last year was limited to socially distanced reserved seating and no general admission. The 2021 meet will return to full capacity with free general admission.

"We're looking forward to the roar of the crowd and getting back to what has made Ellis Park so popular for so many generations in the Tri-State region," Inman said in a release. "This is going to be the first year that we're broadcasting in high-def. We'll get our race signal out to more people. More people will see Ellis than ever. That's fantastic and can't be underestimated. Even so, what we're really excited about is getting fans back in the stands."

For the second year in a row, Ellis Park's stakes-laden programs on Aug. 7, 8, and 15 are expected to be shown on the racing network TVG's main channel. 

For the second year in a row, the meet will be sponsored by the Claiborne Farm stallion Runhappy , whose 2015 season as champion sprinter was supported by an allowance optional claiming victory at Ellis. RUNHAPPY, whose name is capitalized when used in racing sponsorships, will also be the title sponsor of four of the track's five dirt stakes Aug. 15, including the $200,000 RUNHAPPY Ellis Park Derby.

Purses are scheduled to average an Ellis-record $350,000 a day, with maiden races going for $51,000 for Kentucky-bred horses. The 16-stakes schedule includes two new races for the highly successful Kentucky Downs Preview program, which has expanded from five to seven grass stakes while morphing from one day into a weekend, Aug. 7-8. Winners of Kentucky Downs Preview stakes, which carry purses of at least $100,000, receive a fees-paid berth in the corresponding stakes at Kentucky Downs' all-turf meet in early September.

The Ellis Park jockey colony will feature the bulk of Churchill Downs' elite roster. Among those returning will be 2020 Ellis champion rider Joe Talamo and past meet leaders Corey Lanerie, Rafael Bejarano, James Graham, Brian Hernandez Jr., and Jon Court, along with two-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Julien Leparoux. Leading riders from Indiana Grand such as Marcelino Pedroza, Deshawn Parker, and Fernando De La Cruz also plan to ride regularly at Ellis. Notable newcomers include David Cabrera, Drayden Van Dyke, and Francisco Arrieta.

"I didn't think we could top last year's jockey lineup, but we are adding even more depth," said Jeff Hall, Ellis Park's director of racing operations. "Our racing just keeps getting better, too, with current standouts such as Sconsin, Midnight Bourbon, and Crazy Beautiful— and of course, Art Collector—running here last summer. I can't wait to see what comes out of our 2021 'baby' races and stakes. It will be fun for our fans to be able to say, 'I saw them race at Ellis Park!'"