Ellis Park Racetrack Horse Racing
Active races and results can be found at the Ellis Park horse betting page.
Distance from last turn to finish line: 1,175 feet
Width of homestretch: 100 feet
Width of backstretch: 86 feet
Inner turf course: 1 mile, oval
Feels Like:
Humidity:
Wind: calm
Bodog Racebook Payout Limits
Max per Race Payout: $10,000U.S. Graded Stakes Races at Ellis Park
| Date | Race | Grade | Division | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sorry, the stake information is currently unavailable. | ||||
About Ellis Park Racetrack
Ellis Park Racetrack, located in Henderson, Kentucky, was built in 1922 by the Green River Jockey Club with sketches made by architect Ernest F. Bohme. Financial woes plagued the track in its early days and when the Green River Jockey Club went bankrupt, racing during 1924 and part of 1925 was limited to automobiles on Labor Day weekends. Horse lovers' only alternative was to attend races held at nearby county fairs.
In 1925, James C. Ellis purchased the track - then named Dade Park - at a bankruptcy auction for $35,100 from the Green River Jockey Club, which took a terrible loss of approximately $600,000. One club member was so distraught over the economic flop that he reportedly jumped from his bedroom window and killed himself.
The Green River Jockey Club's misfortune was Ellis's good fortune. A native of Rockport, he was a lifelong bachelor who made his fortune in land, timber, oil and banking. He took over the racetrack through receivership during the winter of 1924.
During most years since then, Ellis Park has been Kentucky's summer home for thoroughbred racing. With a fan base most notably from the Tri-State area of Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, Ellis Park's traditional summer meeting runs from mid-July through Labor Day. The facility also offers year-round wholecard and intertrack wagering. Originally designed after Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York, the circumference of Ellis Park's dirt track is 11/8 miles, the largest in Kentucky. Featuring 7-furlong and 1-mile chutes, the track is 86 feet wide on the backstretch and 100 feet across the homestretch, which is 1,175 feet long.
The entire 210-acre facility, including the 252-foot long, 87-feet wide, 6,000-seat main grandstand, nine of the 38 concrete stucco barns and the levee that protects the plant from the nearby Ohio River's floodwaters, are all part of the original 1922 construction. As for the track's unusual length, that was a mistake of history. Originally, the track was to be 1 1/2 miles in circumference. However, Bohme became confused during the decision making and brought in sketches that allowed for only 1 1/8 miles. Time was short, so the original investors decided to approve Bohme's design.