Ellis Park: The Midwest’s Summer Purse Leader

Ellis Park: The Midwest’s Summer Purse Leader

Ellis Park’s purses are scheduled to average $210,000 a day for the 30-date meet, up from $155,000 in 2015. That’s the highest in at least 15 years and pro- vides horsemen the best overall non-stakes purses in the region, especially for Kentucky-bred horses in maiden and allowance races that benefit from Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund purse supplements. Because the vast majority of horses running in those races are Kentucky-born and sired and therefore eligi- ble for such purse supplements, Ellis Park is projecting that 95 percent of the KTDF funds offered will be paid out.

Horsemen are not as concerned with overall purse distribution or average but how much their horse can earn in a race, looking at the purse for each individual race category. “Purses at Ellis Park have never been this high,” says Dr. Rick Fischer, the dean of Kentucky veterinarians practicing at the racetrack. “And I go back 50 years to when I was an outrider there.”

Here is a sample of how Ellis purses compare with other tracks in the region racing at the same time:

Maiden

Ellis: $38,000 ($12,000 KTDF)

Arlington: $32,000
Belterra: $13,000 Canterbury: $28,000 Evangeline Downs: $22,000 Indiana Grand: $32,000 Louisiana Downs: $19,000 Monmouth Park: $36,000 Mountaineer: $14,100 Prairie Meadows: $30,000 Thistledown: $21,500

First-level allowance

Ellis: $39,000 ($13,000 KTDF)

Arlington: $33,000
Belterra: $13,500
Canterbury: $30,000
Evangeline Downs: $23,000
Indiana Grand: $34,000
Louisiana Downs: $20,000
Monmouth Park: $40,000 (optional $50,000)

Mountaineer: $16,200 Prairie Meadows: $30,500 Presque Isle: $28,000 Thistledown: $23,000

Second-level allowance

Ellis: $40,000 ($14,000 KTDF) (optional $40,000 claiming)

Arlington: $34,000 (optional $40,000 claiming) Belterra: $14,500
Canterbury: $32,000 (optional $25,000 claiming) Evangeline Downs: $24,000

Indiana Grand: $36,000 (optional $40,000 claiming) Louisiana Downs: $20,500 (optional $17,500) Mountaineer: $18,400 (optional $20,000 claiming) Prairie Meadows: $31,000 (optional $25,000 claiming) Presque Isle: $29,000

Thistledown: $24,500 (optional $20,000 claiming)

Third-level allowance/optional $50,000 claiming

Ellis: $42,000 ($17,000 KTDF) (optional $50,000 claiming)

Arlington: $35,000 (optional $100,000 claiming) Belterra: $15,000 (optional $20,000 claiming) Canterbury: $34,000 (optional $35,000 claiming) Evangeline Downs: $25,000 (optional $30,000 claiming) Indiana Grand (NA)

Louisiana Downs: $21,000 (optional $25,000 claiming) Mountaineer: $20,700 (optional $25,000 claiming) Prairie Meadows: (NA)
Thistledown: $26,000 (optional $25,000 claiming)

$5,000 claiming

Ellis: $12,000

Arlington: $11,000
Belterra: $8,800 Canterbury: $12,500 Evangeline Downs: $10,000 Indiana Grand: $12,500 Louisiana Downs $6,000 Monmouth: $15,500 Mountaineer: $9,100