Ellis Park

Sunday Racing Insights: Son Of Candy Ride Appears To Be Complete Figure On Debut At Ellis

7th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 3:42 p.m. ET. INTEGER (Candy Ride {Arg}) makes his first start for St. Elias, West Point, Don Alberto, Woodford and CJ Stables. An $800,000 buy at the 2023 Keeneland September Sale, the Steve Asmussen trainee is the lone foal out of GSW Magic Star (Scat Daddy), who sadly passed away in 2022. The gelding's second dam is GI Matron Stakes heroine Meadow Breeze (Meadowlake), whose half-brother is GI Arkansas Derby champ Overanalyze (Dixie Union). Set for his unveiling is Snowdrift (Medaglia d'Oro) and the...

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Caleb Hays at Churchill Downs
Hays and Stephens Named Head Starters at Churchill Properties

Caleb Hays, interim starter at Churchill Downs during the Spring Meet, will move into the role of head starter at the Louisville oval as well as at Turfway Park,  while Todd Stephens, after more than 25 years at Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows, has been named head starter at Ellis Park. Churchill Downs owns all three Kentucky tracks. Hays has been on the gate crew for 17 years at Churchill after getting his start at River Downs. He is the son of the late former assistant starter Danton "Danny"...

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Summer Breezes: Saturday, July 5. 2025

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Saturday at Saratoga and Ellis Park. Saturday, July 5, 2025...

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Rebellious Type sells at Saratoga
Friday Insights: Seven-Figure Fireworks At Saratoga

7th-SAR, 100K, Msw, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 4:22 p.m. The pricier half of a coupled entry, REBELLIOUS TYPE (Into Mischief) makes his belated debut for the partnership of Spendthrift Farm LLC, Cypress Creek Equine and St. Elias Stable. The 4-year-old son of MGSW Teresa Z brought an even $1,000,000 as a yearling at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale in 2022 and comes in on a steady work tab for trainer Amelia Green. This is the family of champion 2-year-old filly Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) via third dam, MGISW My Flag (Easy...

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Summer Breezes: Friday, July 4, 2025

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Independence Day at Saratoga and Ellis Park. Friday, July...

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Thursday Insights: NY-Bred Authentic Filly Headlines Spa Maiden

6th-SAR, $90k, Msw, (R), 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 3:53 p.m. ET Though written as an auction maiden, this contest is also open to horses foaled in New York and IRON ORCHARD (Authentic) looks to capitalize on the opportunity on the first day of the July Fourth Racing Festival in Saratoga. The Apr. 22 foal is a daughter of the late dual stakes-placed Onebrethatatime (Brethren), who was purchased by Pine Ridge Stables in foal to Audible for $150,000 at Keeneland November in 2020. The dam, a half-sister to GIII Arlington-Washington Lassie...

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Summer Breezes: Thursday, July 3, 2025

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced juveniles from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes, sponsored by OBS Sales, highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, including links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Thursday at for opening day at Ellis Park and...

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Amended Regulations For Entry Examination by Attending Vet Take Effect July 1

Amendments to the Entry Examination by Attending Veterinarian, 810 KAR 4:030, Section 17, will take effect July 1, 2025, according to a release by the Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming Corporation Wednesday. The changes will be applied to entries for races occurring on or after July 1, 2025. Entries for Ellis Park's opening day on July 3, 2025, close June 26, 2025. The amended regulation states: Section 17. Entry Examination by Attending Veterinarian. (1) A horse shall only start if: (a) The horse has been examined by an attending veterinarian...

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Ellis Park Stakes Schedule Features Record Purse Distribution Across Eighteen Races

Stakes purses at Ellis Park will reach a record number this summer with an expected $4-million available across 18 races during the 25-day meeting, it was announced via press release. With the season set to begin July 3, the stakes lineup is led by the $400,000 GIII Pucker Up Stakes, one of seven races on Kentucky Downs Preview Weekend Aug. 2-3, and will also include the $300,000 Listed Ellis Park Derby and the $200,000 Listed Groupie Doll Stakes the weekend of Aug. 10. Those two contests lead a six-stakes lineup...

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Baley Hare Named Ellis Racing Secretary

Baley Hare has been named racing secretary at Ellis Park Racing & Gaming. He succeeds Dan Bork, who will transition to the same role at Colonial Downs in Virginia. Hare, a native of Illinois, grew up in the industry alongside his father, Scott, a former jockey and longtime jockey agent, and his mother, Darcy, a former trainer. Before working in racing offices across Kentucky, Hare was a racing official in Louisiana and Texas. "I'm thankful for the opportunity and appreciate the confidence from our team in naming me to this...

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Scott Jordan Appointed NYRA Head Starter

Pending relevant licensing, Scott Jordan will take over the post of head starter at the New York Racing Association (NYRA) tracks beginning May 23, the organization announced Monday afternoon. With more than 20 years of experience in the position and a tenure at Churchill Downs which began in 2006, Jordan has also worked roles at Keeneland, Ellis Park, and Kentucky Downs. In addition to managing NYRA's team of assistant starters and starting gate operations at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga, he will also work with trainers and riders to aide...

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With Boosts Projected at Ellis and Turfway, Kentucky Nearing Year-Round, Six-Figure MSW Purses

Ellis Park is projecting a significant boost for maiden special weight (MSW) purses at its upcoming 25-date summer meet, up from $71,000 last year to "in the $100,000 range" according to Gary Palmisano, Jr., the vice president of racing for Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the gaming company that is the corporate owner of the Western Kentucky track. Palmisano also projected that planned transfers of Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund (KTDF) money from Kentucky Downs and the allocation of funding from other sources within CDI's in-state gaming operations would bridge a gap...

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