Western Kentucky’s Ellis Park, located in Henderson, has had a resurgence in recent years. The small, rustic track located on the north banks of the Ohio River (on the Indiana side, yet still in Kentucky) has seen field size and purse levels rise after the introduction of historical horse racing machines to the facility as a new, year-round source of gaming revenue in 2012.

Last fall, Ellis Park was bought by Churchill Downs Inc. – and now all of a sudden, Ellis has the national spotlight focused squarely on it after the parent company announced it was shutting down racing at its iconic Louisville track and shifting operations to Ellis for the final three weeks of its spring-summer meet while Churchill conducts a comprehensive review of horse safety protocols.

Churchill Downs’s relocated meet ends on Sunday, July 2, and Ellis holds its own traditional summer meet from July 7 through Aug. 27. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what Ellis Park, affectionally called “The Pea Patch” for its crop of soybeans in the infield, has to offer horseplayers and fans as the only source of Kentucky horse racing for the next 11-plus weeks.

How to Get There

For those driving from the Louisville area or points east such as Lexington, the quickest route is to take 1-64 westbound through southern Indiana all the way to I-69 north of Evansville, then take I-69 south and west to state road 41, and then drive south less than a mile on that very busy thoroughfare to the track. Make sure to check beforehand the status of the Sherman Minton Bridge, which carries traffic on I-64 from Louisville into southern Indiana and will be closed periodically this summer for repairs and upgrades.

Track Trends and Major Race Dates

Turf racing at 'The Pea Patch.' (Eclipse Sportswire)

Ellis Park has a 1 1/8-mile main dirt track with a seven-furlong chute and a one-mile chute, the latter of which starts at a 90-degree angle in the first turn. This configuration is similar to the one-mile chute that Saratoga Race Course once had and then re-installed last year, and makes one-mile dirt races 1 ½-turn affairs. Ellis’ turf course is a one-mile oval.

The main track Ellis Park plays quite fair for all running types overall. The one-mile main track chute positioned in the first turn can help speed horses drawn to the inside take command early if they break well, but horses that reel off blazing fractions in both sprints and routes will be susceptible to tiring in the homestretch.

Ellis’ turf course was not used on the first two days of the relocated Churchill meet and will hold its first race June 15. The course generally favors forwardly placed horses rather than far-back closers.

Churchill’s remaining races to be held at Ellis Park include such marquee events as the Stephen Foster Stakes on July 1 – a “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic – and the Fleur de Lis Stakes and Wise Dan Stakes, both also to be held on July 1. The Matt Winn Stakes for 3-year-olds was just run at Ellis Park on June 11, and won by Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve fourth-place finisher Disarm.

Major race dates for Ellis Park’s standard summer meet are Aug. 5-6, when seven stakes races will be held as preps for Kentucky Downs’ elite turf meet in September, and on Aug. 13, when six stakes are offered, including the Groupie Doll Stakes for fillies and mares, which was formerly the Gardenia Stakes and is now named after the champion female sprinter who won the race in 2011. The one-mile Ellis Park Derby for 3-year-olds will also be held on Aug. 13.

Jockeys and Trainers to Watch

Gerardo Corrales aboard B Dawk in 2022. (Coady Photography)

The Churchill Downs jockey colony was deep in talent through its truncated meet, and that will transfer to Ellis over the next couple of weeks. Luis Saez, normally based in New York and a perennial top-ten rider in the U.S. based on wins and purse earnings, stayed at Churchill after Kentucky Derby week and plans to compete at Ellis until the transferred Churchill dates are over. Saez won an impressive 33 races at Churchill through June 4, which was 10 more than Tyler Gaffalione, who has dominated the rider standings at the Louisville track at recent meets. Both Saez and Gaffalione will move to Saratoga when that meet begins July 13.

Even with Saez and Gaffalione absent, Ellis Park will still have one of the most competitive jockey colonies in North America for its summer meet. Florent Geroux, Brian Hernandez Jr., Gerardo Corrales (the 2022 meet leader in wins), Rafael Bejarano, Julien Leparoux, Joe Talamo, Jareth Loveberry, Martin Garcia, James Graham, and several other veteran riders figure to vie for the Ellis title. Up-and-coming jockeys Reylu Gutierrez, Francisco Arrieta, and Cristian Torres will also make their presence felt.

As mentioned, purses have increased at Ellis over the past several meets, and that has drawn some of the nation’s most successful trainers to operate stables at the track. Louisville native Brad Cox has been an Ellis fixture since his days training primarily claimers and will have a handful of promising 2-year-olds ready to debut at the Pea Patch. The same can be said for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, the all-time winningest trainer in North America. John Ortiz won the 2022 Ellis trainer title with 12 victories, one more than both Cox and Asmussen, and he should have another string of contenders lined up for this summer’s regular meet. Other trainers who will be active include Ken McPeek, Brendan Walsh (on track to have his career-best year), Mike Maker, Vicki Oliver, and Ian Wilkes.

Amenities and What to Do in the Area

Easy paddock access and a laid-back vibe. (Eclipse Sportswire)

It’s safe to say that Ellis Park and environs are far removed from Churchill Downs/Louisville, and that’s part of the track’s charm. Fans visiting won’t get the same experience watching top-class horses compete in the Stephen Foster: instead of Millionaire’s Row buffets, Kentucky Derby murals, and ample air conditioning, there will be picnic tables, ceiling fans, beer buckets and ICEE stands. Ellis does have a separate air-conditioned building with a restaurant, which is now largely populated by historical horse racing machines and the people playing them. But the majority of the track is open-air, and many fans congregate in a picnic area with several tents set up to mitigate sun exposure.

It’s a family-friendly, laid-back egalitarian vibe at Ellis, with easy access to the small paddock and ample space for watching the races on the track apron and rail. Tickets for reserved seating during Churchill’s dates range from $13-$15 and can be purchased here. General admission is free during Ellis’ regular meet starting July 7.

If you’re staying in the area for a day or two, avoid the usual preponderance of chain restaurants and stores lining state road 41 on the Kentucky side or on the main shopping drag in Evansville, Indiana (John Lloyd Expressway) and spend time at the riverwalk areas in both Henderson and Evansville for some picturesque views of the mighty Ohio River. John James Audubon State Park (named after the renowned ornithologist and painter) is right across the Ohio River from Ellis Park in Kentucky and offers a nice refuge for hiking and bird watching as well as a museum. For the complete opposite energy level, full casino gaming plus sports betting is available at Bally’s Evansville located right downtown, which is a massive improvement over Evansville’s former riverboat casino (sports betting will come online in Kentucky this fall).

It would be remiss to fail to mention nearby Owensboro, Ky., about 25 miles east of Henderson along the Ohio River. Owensboro is one of Kentucky’s best towns and is known for another destination riverwalk area, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum downtown, and perhaps most of all as the mutton capital of the world. Both the Moonlite Bar-B-Q Inn (for the buffet experience) and Old Hickory Bar-B-Que (dine in or carry out) are recommended.