Kentucky Downs Raises Record Purses

Kentucky Downs has added upwards of $600,000 in additional overnight purses to its unique five-day all-turf race meet in September, the track announced Tuesday. Building on a foundation that already offers the highest daily purses in America, Kentucky Downs' 12 stakes races are now worth a total of $3.95 million, led by the $600,000 GIII Calumet Farm Kentucky Turf Cup. The $400,000 More Than Ready Mile will be held on the same Sept. 10 card, receiving a $100,000 purse boost.

Total purses at the track are scheduled to average $1.56 million per day, or $7.8 million overall–up from the $7.15 million paid out in 2015. Kentucky Downs will also contribute $1.35 million toward purses at Ellis Park's summer meet, one component of Kentucky Downs' initiative to assist in promoting racing in the Commonwealth year-round.

“The overall health of the Kentucky circuit is very important to Kentucky Downs,” said track president Corey Johnsen. “That means keeping Kentucky-breds at home, running for big purses.”

With such a lucrative purse structure and low takeout rates, the Kentucky Downs boutique meet has become a favorite of horseplayers and horsemen alike.

“Frankly, it's just amazing they've found a way to generate that kind of money down there,” said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, whose five Kentucky Downs stakes victories include last year's More Than Ready Mile with Tourist and Dueling Grounds Derby with Closing Bell. “It's great. Big purses are what makes good racing. They had good fields down there last year, and I'm sure it will continue to improve with the addition of more money.”

Given that Kentucky Downs is now squarely on the radar of many horsemen with stakes-quality turf horses in the barn, Johnsen said the logical goal for the Franklin, Kentucky, track is to help their cornerstone events achieve prestigious status.

“The next step in the development of Kentucky Downs racing program is to get more graded races,” Johnsen said. “We are very aware of the situation. Whenever we have a race like the More Than Ready, which had several horses that went on to run in the Breeders' Cup, we are going to emphasize the purses in those races. We think it's important, especially in Kentucky, to have more graded races in which our breeders can run.”