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.

In fall 2022, Ellis Park was bought by Churchill Downs Inc. – and last summer, the national spotlight fell on the track in June when racing was halted at the company’s flagship venue in Louisville and transferred to Ellis while Churchill conducted a comprehensive safety review after a spike in fatalities. Major races such as the Stephen Foster Stakes were held at Ellis until the conclusion of Churchill Downs’ usual spring/summer meet, and then Ellis seamlessly moved into its normal schedule.

On July 4, Ellis kicks off its 2024 summer meet totaling 25 days of live racing. With that in mind, let’s take a look at what Ellis Park has to offer horseplayers and fans as the only source of Kentucky horse racing for the next 7 ½ weeks. The track is affectionally nicknamed “The Pea Patch” as for years it had a crop of soybeans growing in the infield; however, in a recent interview with BloodHorse, Churchill Downs Vice President of Racing Gary Palmisano said that the soybeans have been removed this year to improve water drainage at the facility, which rests on property adjacent to wetlands and just several hundred yards from the Ohio River.

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 the I-69 intersection 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 is closed periodically for repairs as part of a seemingly-eternal “renewal project,” including the weekend of July 19-21.

Track Trends, Major Race Dates, and Betting Options

Homestretch racing at Ellis. (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 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 in 2022, and makes one-mile dirt races 1 ½-turn affairs. Ellis Park’s turf course is a one-mile oval.

Last summer when Churchill racing shifted to Ellis, speed horses dominated during the first couple of weeks on the dirt track, especially in sprints, but by mid-July the main track began to play more fairly. The one-mile main track chute positioned in the first turn can help 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 generally favors forwardly placed horses rather than far-back closers.

To begin its traditional meet, Ellis will conduct live racing for four consecutive days starting on Thursday, Independence Day, and ending Sunday, July 7. However, after that track operators are trying something new for 2024 and will hold live racing on a Saturday-Monday three-day schedule each week until closing day, Monday, Aug. 26. It will be interesting to see handle figures for Mondays once the meet is concluded to see how Ellis fared matched up against tracks such as Parx Racing and Thistledown rather than on Fridays against Saratoga (which starts on July 11) and Del Mar (opening July 20). Post time for the first race each day of the meet is 11:50 a.m. CT. 

Major race dates are Saturday/Sunday, Aug. 3-4, when seven stakes races including the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes will be held as preps for Kentucky Downs’ elite turf meet in late August and September; and on Sunday, Aug. 11, 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 two-time champion female sprinter who won the race in 2011. The one-mile Ellis Park Derby for 3-year-olds also will be held on Aug. 11.

Horseplayers have plenty of gambling opportunities on each racecard at Ellis throughout the meet, with at least two daily Pick 5s offered (50-cent minimum), a $3 all-turf Pick 3, and a 20-cent Dade Park Pick 6 offered, each with a 15% takeout. Advance-deposit wagering on races at Ellis is offered through TwinSpires.com, owned by Churchill Downs Inc.

Jockeys and Trainers to Watch

Corrales bags five wins. (Coady Media)

The Churchill Downs jockey colony was deep in talent this spring, and most of those riders will relocate to Ellis. Gerardo Corrales led all jockeys in wins for both the 2022 and 2023 summer meets including a five-win day last summer, and he stands a good chance at securing a three-peat after recently returning from an injury. He’ll have competition from Brian Hernandez Jr., reigning winning jockey of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and Longines Kentucky Oaks, fast-rising young rider Cristian Torres, and several other familiar names from last year’s top ten, including Rafael Bejarano, Francisco Arrieta, Corey Lanerie, James Graham, Declan Cannon, and Edgar Morales. Florent Geroux will also ride often at Ellis while taking big-race assignments elsewhere as opportunity provides.

As mentioned, purses have increased substantially 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, the runaway 2023 regular-meet leader in wins, 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 member Steve Asmussen, the all-time winningest trainer in North America. Other trainers who will be active include Kentucky Derby and Oaks winner Ken McPeek, Mike Maker, Cherie DeVaux, John Ortiz, Tom Amoss, Greg Foley, and Joe Sharp.

Amenities and What to Do in the Area

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

Fans visiting won’t get the same experience watching top-class horses compete at Ellis as they will at the recently-completed meet under the Twin Spires in Louisville, and that’s part of the track’s charm – even sans soybeans. Instead of Millionaire’s Row buffets, Kentucky Derby murals, a $200 million paddock, 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. General admission is free during Ellis’ regular meet starting July 4, and a schedule of events can be found here.

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. 

I 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.