For first time in nearly 25 years, Kentucky is getting new racetrack

[Rabbi Of Racing]

November 17, 2018 10:55 AM

Updated November 17, 2018 10:55 AM

Keeneland and Churchill Downs on Friday won the right to jointly build and run a new harness racetrack and gambling parlor in Western Kentucky near Fort Campbell.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission voted 11-3 to award the first new racetrack license in nearly 25 years to the $150 million project for Oak Grove in Christian County over competing projects from Kentucky Downs in Franklin and Caesars-Bluegrass Downs in Paducah.

Churchill Downs and Keeneland, which owns only 5 percent of the project, will build a five-eighths of a mile harness track to host 12 days of standardbred racing as early as 2019.

They also plan to build a gambling parlor with up to 1,500 historical racing machines, which are similar to slot machines and have produced millions for purses and more than $21 million for the state since 2010. Kevin Flanery, Churchill Downs racetrack president, told The Blood-Horse that the gambling parlor would generate an estimated $10 million both Thoroughbred and standarbred purses in Kentucky.

The new track also will have a 125-room hotel with an event center and food and beverage venues, a 1,200-person seat-grandstand with event space for indoor events, a 3,000-person outdoor amphiteather and stage and a state-of-the-art equestrian center with indoor and outdoor arenas.

About 400 full- and part-time jobs will be created by the facility as well as an estimated 800 construction jobs, according to an a press release from Churchill Downs and Keeneland.

In 2017, Churchill and Keeneland jointly applied for two new racetracks: the Oak Grove facility and one in Corbin that Keeneland had been pursuing for years. It is unclear if Keeneland intends to move forward with the Corbin track as well.The new Oak Grove track will be along I-24 on the Kentucky-Tennessee line, between Nashville and Hopkinsville, and near the popular Land Between the Lakes resort area.

The losing bidders for the track were quick to object to the process, with Kentucky Downs issuing a press release from its prospective new owners, Ron Winchell and Marc Falcone. Earlier in the week, racehorse owner Winchell (Gun Runner, Tapit) and former casino analyst and executive Falcone announced plans to purchase a majority interest the Franklin track along I-65 for an undisclosed price.“We came into the process obviously very late. We were really trying to persuade people to give us more time,” said Winchell in a statement. “This decision, we felt, was very important and needed more time, the processing to be more well thought out. We’ver obviously very disappointed in the result. We’re happy and excited about what’s going on at Kentucky Downs and looking forward to the future.”

Falcone said the Franklin track increase a previously announced $25 million expansion to better compete with the new facility, which also will draw from the Nashville market.

“Now we know we have competition” in the market, Winchell said in the statement, “we’re going to gear up.”

According to published reports, Caesars Entertainment executive Dan Real also expressed frustration with losing the bid to Churchill and Keeneland. “They don’t have a signed horsemen’s agreement ... They don’t have the ability to do simulcasting, they don’t have any history, relationships, or marketing in the region, which obviously the other operators do,” Real told the Paulick Report.

Last month the Franklin Circuit Court ruled that one system of historical racing gambling machines was parimutuel and legal; the conservative Family Foundation has filed an appear of that decision. No ruling has been made on other types of machines.

Earlier this year, Churchill Downs opened its historical racing gambling parlor in Louisville. Keeneland the Red Mile operate one in Lexington and Ellis Park also has machines.

[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]

They get the machines, the hotel, the property perks, etc., all for just a puny TWELVE DAYS OF RACING.

If you don't think Jewffrey has been planning the same shit for the Swamp, then you are as stupid as the resident clowns like Hammer Head, Lice Man, Shoulda Retired and Campbell Soup who should all be banded.  Until next time, darlings......... ......HEIL HITLER!!

[Fatboy]

They get the machines, the hotel, the property perks, etc., all for just a puny TWELVE DAYS OF RACING.

If you don't think Jewffrey has been planning the same shit for the Swamp, then you are as stupid as the resident clowns like Hammer Head, Lice Man, Shoulda Retired and Campbell Soup who should all be banded.  Until next time, darlings......... ......HEIL HITLER!!

 

[Bernie Madoff]

They get the machines, the hotel, the property perks, etc., all for just a puny TWELVE DAYS OF RACING.

If you don't think Jewffrey has been planning the same shit for the Swamp, then you are as stupid as the resident clowns like Hammer Head, Lice Man, Shoulda Retired and Campbell Soup who should all be banded.  Until next time, darlings......... ......HEIL HITLER!!

Right on Buffy.

[augustaandy]

hopefully they'll have a million dollar race

[TheGrimReaper]

Two wins will get you the training title, 12 days of racing.....the sport has been saved.....

[Fatboy]

retired truck drivers and bustout farmers play those machines.
replays of cheap races decades old
purses should be huge?

[hoosierboy]

12 days of racing wow they are doing so much

[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]

To be fair, 3 days a week for 4 weeks = 12 days of racing.  You could get 4 starts.  And if they go 2 days a week, you get 6 starts.  Maybe.  Depending on the box.  But thats still not much racing for what they're getting.

The bigger point is that Jewffrey wants the same thing at the Bus Station.  His dream scenario is: (1) race 2 days a week for a month; (2) keep all the profit from the Fan Stool Janitor Closet; and (3) keep whining about a casino or the rebate so they are distracted from (1) and (2).  This is a Savior?  Fuck me.  Its horrible.  And to think guys like John Campbell and Ray Remmen stand behind this filthy prick.  Until next time, darlings......... .....HEIL HITLER!!

[Fatboy]

To be fair, 3 days a week for 4 weeks = 12 days of racing.  You could get 4 starts.  And if they go 2 days a week, you get 6 starts.  Maybe.  Depending on the box.  But thats still not much racing for what they're getting.

The bigger point is that Jewffrey wants the same thing at the Bus Station.  His dream scenario is: (1) race 2 days a week for a month; (2) keep all the profit from the Fan Stool Janitor Closet; and (3) keep whining about a casino or the rebate so they are distracted from (1) and (2).  This is a Savior?  Fuck me.  Its horrible.  And to think guys like John Campbell and Ray Remmen stand behind this filthy prick.  Until next time, darlings......... .....HEIL HITLER!!

BUS STATION HAS MELTING POT OF BUSTOUTS AND SPORTS WAGERING AND WHAT DOES KENTUCKY HAVE? AUTOMATIC WATERERS?

[Rabbi Of Racing]

You guy's are a blast,God bless,good night 

[Fatboy]

They don't actually show replays of old races. The Red Mile has them and they are almost identical to any other slot machine.

how are the crowds?

[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]

how are the crowds?

The whole state bets about $100 million per MONTH.  This is big shit.  Coming to your neighborhood Swamp soon.

Here is just for June 2018 in Kentucky:

Total Handle $ 98,983,270 $ 81,338,168 21.7% $1,091,766,502 $ 920,331,753 18.6%
Less: Returned to Public $ 9 1,055,777 $ 7 4,972,724 21.5% $1 ,004,823,223 $ 847,969,559 18.5%
Less: Breakage $ 106,555 $ 32,091 232.0% $ 874,538 $ 2 88,530
Less: Settlement $ 85,886 $ 42,533 101.9% $ 1,077,847 $ 4 66,608
Gross Commission $ 7,735,053 $ 6,290,819 23.0% $ 84,990,894 $ 71,607,056 18.7%

Net Commission $ 6,250,304 $ 5,070,747 23.3% $ 68,614,398 $ 57,802,079 18.7%