Ellis Park announced on the morning of July 4 that the opening-day card there would be run without patrons due to an unscheduled grandstand maintenance issue.
Kevin Kerstein, who publicizes racing at Ellis Park for track operator Churchill Downs Inc., told BloodHorse that due to thunderstorms on July 3 in the Henderson, Ky., area, "There was an issue with power in the grandstand that knocked the water tank out. The water tank was able to fill up to a level to keep racing operations on as normal, but it is not to the level to open the grandstand for patrons."
Ellis Park will have more information on when the track can open its doors to the public as more information becomes available.
"This was a really difficult decision we had to make this morning but due to an unscheduled maintenance issue we will have to conduct today's race card without patrons," Ellis Park general manager Matt Pressley said in a release. "We are still going to run all nine races as scheduled. We will update everyone as soon as we can when the facility will be back open to fans."
The nine-race card commenced shortly after the scheduled first post time of 11:50 CT. Races originally scheduled for the grass were taken off the turf, including the $125,000 Dade Park Dash Stakes for 3-year-olds going 5 1/2 furlongs.
Wagering remained available on Ellis Park via simulcasts and advance deposit wagering platforms.
Participating horsemen, including horse owners, were allowed grandstand access, but the track officials did not feel conditions were well suited to a normal opening-day crowd. Officials and news media, such as those from FanDuel, were also on site.
Elsewhere on Thursday, storms canceled racing at Horseshoe Indianapolis, according to track announcer John Dooley.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.Wipeout! @HSIndyRacing (Cancelled). pic.twitter.com/ZoCzXomWGn
— John G. Dooley (@JohnGDooley) July 4, 2024
