Your TDN download has begun. Turfway Construction Halted Until KY Clears Up Historical Racing Ambiguity, PETA Files Resolution with Churchill Downs, HHR Fate Still ‘Elephant in the Room’ As KHRC Grants ’21 Race Dates, More Ky Outfits to Winter at Turfway Despite Muted Purse Projections, TDN International Editor Kelsey Riley Talks Arc On Writers’ Room, After HHR Decision from Court, Racing Considers Next Steps. “We’ll have a very stable racing surface to compete on,” Bach said. Turfway Park’s new grandstand and historical racing machine (HRM) facility won’t get built until the state of Kentucky clears up the ambiguity surrounding the apparent illegality of that form of video gambling, which contributes tens of millions of dollars annually to purses in the state. While the Kentucky Supreme Court decision was technically a narrow one, we anticipate that the Kentucky legislature may consider revisions to the relevant statute in the first quarter of 2021. By T. D. Thornton Turfway Park’s new grandstand and historical racing machine (HRM) facility won’t get built until the state of Kentucky clears up … [Andy] Beshear, the KHRC, and many legislators on both sides of the aisle who are actively reviewing and discussing this decision. “So I don’t know the exact methodology they use, but I do know I’m very happy with the results of the decision.”. University of Louisville Equine Industry Program - Get a Career in Horse Racing! The surface also has been installed at Presque Isle Downs and Golden Gate Fields in the United States and at Woodbine in Canada. Tapeta is a synthetic racing surface made of a mixture of rubber and and sand covered in wax. Looking ahead to that 2021 Derby, Carstanjen said CDI is aiming for a return to the traditional first Saturday in May calendar spot, which falls on May 1. This is just being prudent with our shareholders’ capital,” Carstanjen said. That news was delivered by Bill Carstanjen, chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), in an Oct. 29 third-quarter earnings call with investors. “We anticipate that the additional interior construction will be completed by the end of September in preparation for a grand opening by early October,” Carstanjen said. The Churchill construction pause is not new. CDI, a gaming corporation with six Thoroughbred tracks in its portfolio, acquired Turfway last year and soon thereafter embarked upon a $200 project to revitalize the track and build an accompanying wagering facility 12 miles to the northeast. It is billed as an all-weather surface that keeps tracks functional year-round. “We appreciate the support of Gov. But the reason cited by Carstanjen was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and not the Supreme Court ruling on HRMs. The improvements include a new clubhouse with historical racing machines and food and beverage venues, along with a new dirt track, a new synthetic track and updated barn areas. “In late September, the Kentucky Supreme Court issued a decision concerning the legality of the company called Exacta HRMs under Kentucky law. They have high hopes for our racing becoming more in line with the top racetracks.”, History (1875-2019 Derby Results & Videos). “I think Tapeta, certainly the brand has earned the respect of every level of horsemen, and so I think that will certainly contribute to a decision to stay at Turfway. Not a subscriber? “It appears there is a broad recognition that it is important and necessary to address any ambiguity to protect the thousands of jobs created by the horse industry, the purse money that is generated for the benefit of the horsemen and the downstream Kentucky breeding and related farms, and the millions of dollars in annual tax revenues that are generated by HRMs for funding various programs in our state,” Carstanjen said. Click here or scroll down to watch America's Day at the Races. On Sept. 24, the Supreme Court of Kentucky reversed and remanded a previous ruling by Franklin Superior Court that had determined that the Encore brand of HRM gaming used by some tracks constitutes legal pari-mutuel wagering. Red Bank, NJ 07701, p: (732) 747-8060 “This timing will provide two months of operations to generate much-needed purse money for Turfway Park's December live Thoroughbred race meet.”, Chip Bach, general manager of Turfway Park, said the grandstand has been completely demolished, making way for a new facility with as many as 1,500 historic racing machines — which he expects will help raise purses at the track. “We do not anticipate moving off our traditional date of the first Saturday in May,” Carstanjen said. While we do not have any Exacta HRMs at any of our facilities, and therefore are not directly impacted by the Kentucky Supreme Court ruling, we feel it is prudent to refrain from further significant capital investment until the Kentucky legislature has an opportunity to review the decision and the technicalities in the current law during the legislative session starting in early 2021. Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts. Bach said he wasn’t directly involved with the decision to go with Tapeta but that CDI has had great success with the surface at other venues. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and Keeneland have already petitioned the Supreme Court for a rehearing, and elected officials have been lobbied hard by Thoroughbred interests to come up with a legislative fix to ensure that HRMs remain legal and operational. 60 Broad St. This story was posted in Top News and tagged Bill Carstanjen, Churchill Downs Inc., Historical Horse Racing, pari-mutuel wagering, Turfway Park. A Thoroughbred racetrack in Northern Kentucky, Turfway Park offers live racing in the winter and early spring and simulcast wagering all year. Photo: New Turfway Park On a July 30 earnings call, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen provided an update on the renovations at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Churchill Downs announced plans for $100 million in improvements when it … Subscribe for FREE to the Daily PDF or the News Alerts, Home » Archive » Top News » Turfway Construction Halted Until KY Clears Up Historical Racing Ambiguity. In 2020, the Derby got pushed back to Sept. 5 because of the pandemic. Bodexpress holds off Code of Honor to win Clark at 11-1, Arklow parlays a perfect trip to win in Hollywood Turf Cup, Saturday Plays: Mutamakina the pick in Aqueduct's Long Island, Here are 12 horses to put on your radar this week, Turfway Park GM: Track moving up in class with renovation project. “Every expectation they set for us, they’ve met. f: (732) 747-8955. And he hopes the new Tapeta synthetic track will help attract better quality racing and. Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts. Turfway is one of three synthetic-surface tracks owned by CDI, along with Presque Isle Downs and Arlington Park. In this biweekly series, racing analyst Keeler Joh... On a July 30 earnings call, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO Bill Carstanjen provided an update on the renovations at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Churchill Downs announced plans for $100 million in improvements when it agreed to acquire the track for $46 million in October. keep trainers in Kentucky for the winter months, when they might previously have left for warmer weather. If circumstances surrounding the pandemic improve, CDI will revisit that plan and open up more ticketing options, Carstanjen said. FLORENCE, Ky. (WKRC) - Churchill Downs paused construction at Turfway Park due to a legal decision about historical racing games. A hotel and HRM facility at Churchill Downs, the flagship property of the gaming corporation, also remains on hold. It’s been halted since April, just after the onset of the pandemic, when Carstanjen said in another CDI earnings call that the $300-million project was on hold “until after we have completed” the 2021 GI Kentucky Derby. Suite 100 Horses will be allowed to begin shipping into the track by Nov. 1 … Turfway Park fans probably won’t need to miss any local horse racing as a result of the massive $100 million renovation Churchill Downs Inc. is planning for the track. Turfway's new Tapeta surface, which replaced its aging Polytrack, has been installed. The old grandstand was demolished in April. Churchill Downs' 19-time leading rider Corey Lanerie plans to join the jockey colony at Turfway Park for their Holiday Meet which begins on Dec. … “They’ve done everything they said they were going to do and more,” Bach said. If trainers thought the old Polytrack was too beat up and worn out, that may have led to a decision not to race with us.”. “Regarding the Turfway Park HRM and grandstand project, we have temporarily paused the construction of this facility,” Carstanjen said. CDI will continue with the initial stages of the main Turfway Park in Florence while proceeding with Newport, Carstanjen said during Wednesday's first … p: (800) 647-6571 Bach said the renovations at Turfway Park show CDI making a commitment to the future of racing in Kentucky. Although the court opinion applied to only that one specific brand of gaming machinery, it theoretically could apply to all makes and models of HRM in Kentucky. “We remain paused on building the hotel and HRM facility at Churchill Downs racetrack until we are past the pandemic and can again model the future with more certainty. That satellite facility has recently been completed and is up and running with 500 HRMs, but the track itself is slated to begin its December-March racing season without permanent infrastructure that will be open to the general public. “We are starting with the assumption that we will limit the number of reserved seats to 40 to 50% of capacity, and we will delay selling any general admissions tickets which do not come with seats until we are closer to the date of the Derby.”. "I know they’ve had the direct feedback from the folks [at other CDI tracks],” Bach said. If the download does not complete, Click Here.