Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
It came as a big surprise this morning to see the headlines in the paper that Ellis Park was a "late scratch"....

After 85 years in existence, it looks as if the new owner is content to close the track for good.....he bought it from Churchhill last year, and Ellis had a very busy meet, but he spent money on it, and came out behind....he wasnt able to sell the signal to otb's due to some contract deal that Churchhill had...but he later was able to sue and get 2 million in damages, and a shot to sell the signal this year, which is where tracks take in a ton of money, being bet on all across the country....however, all of a sudden we hear he is closing the track, and taking the 60 million a year revenue in the local economy with him.....we will see, i dont think its over...i dont think a town, or the other tracks on the Ky Racing circuit, are just gonna let one guy shut it down...all the trainers already had their horses here, as tomorrow was opening day...

Something will be done, if not this year, by next, i think....someone will buy it from him, or he will be forced to open it back up......

This is a sad day, as we grew up with Elllis Park, and its just 5 minutes from my house, and Ego as well....

very sad...

We'll stay tuned to see what happens...

:pop:
 
Ego74

Ego74

1
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Yeah, I read about it last night online before turning I went to bed.

The latest is that the owner met with the horse trainers and owners and they may indeed run starting next Wednesday. I sure hope so.

Hard to imagine summertime here without live racing at Ellis
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

well i hope they get something resolved...i was looking forward to us going out there this summer
 
oakas

oakas

EOG Addicted
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Damn, that is sad news.

I used to do pretty well there betting at the OTB many years ago.
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

oakas said:
Damn, that is sad news.

I used to do pretty well there betting at the OTB many years ago.
Click to expand...

its a nice track, with a beautiful turf course, just a real shame if there WOULDNT be racing there again....but i think there will...something will give here....too many people opposed to this closing to let this newcomer get a way with it..
 
MIKEH75

MIKEH75

EOG Dedicated
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

someone will come along and keep it open,that one person shouldn't deprive everyone else so he needs to sell it a person who will keep it open especially if its bringing in money and good for the local economy.
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

MIKEH75 said:
someone will come along and keep it open,that one person shouldn't deprive everyone else so he needs to sell it a person who will keep it open especially if its bringing in money and good for the local economy.
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yeah, thats what i'm thinking...dont even know why the asshole bought it last year, if he didnt want to run it....he is using this "otb" stuff as a screen, cuz he could fight that if he wanted....he already won a round in court
 
Reload

Reload

2
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Sorry to see this happening. I thought this was a pretty popular track for bettors. Hope something can get worked out.
 
August West

August West

Rambler
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

It sucks for the local horsemen and fans, but there are way to many bush league tracks in this country. That is one of the major problems of the industry.
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

August West said:
It sucks for the local horsemen and fans, but there are way to many bush league tracks in this country. That is one of the major problems of the industry.
Click to expand...

I agree, however, Ellis isnt one of the bushleague tracks....we have very nice purses, and a good quality of horses here......this isnt a fairmont park, or Beulah Park
 
V

vinividivinci

EOG Addicted
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Sure hope this gets worked out. MrsVVV and I had a weekend planned there for one of the next few weeks. Ellis is one of the great oldtime tracks still operating and a weekend there is always a lot of fun.


VVV
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

vinividivinci said:
Sure hope this gets worked out. MrsVVV and I had a weekend planned there for one of the next few weeks. Ellis is one of the great oldtime tracks still operating and a weekend there is always a lot of fun.


VVV
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If it opens, and you do come down, let Ego and I know when you are at the tarck, maybe we can make it down for a drink and a few races....

unless its a "romantic" getaway, then we wont intrude..
 
D

Dewey Finn

EOG Enthusiast
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Very bettor friendly facility. I really will miss playing the reduced take out Pick 4 and I hate to see the horsemen win this battle.

I am enthused that maybe some changes could happen and maybe racing could happen.

Keep us posted.

The management should be rewarded for being different and bettor friendly and not punished for the ADW vs. Horsemen wars.
 
Q

Quebb Diesel

2
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

sucks man...not sure if you told me before but are you from eville?
 
V

vinividivinci

EOG Addicted
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Bucsfan67 said:
If it opens, and you do come down, let Ego and I know when you are at the tarck, maybe we can make it down for a drink and a few races....

unless its a "romantic" getaway, then we wont intrude..
Click to expand...

Bucsfan

Definately if this gets worked out we would love to meet you guys at the track!


VVV
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

vinividivinci said:
Bucsfan

Definately if this gets worked out we would love to meet you guys at the track!


VVV
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great VVV, sounds like fun...


news reported tonight, that the horseman's assoc and owners are meeting again tomorrow morning to see if something can be done...the fact that they are trying tells me we will have racing at some point:cheers
 
Mr. Sanderson

Mr. Sanderson

2
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

August West said:
It sucks for the local horsemen and fans, but there are way to many bush league tracks in this country. That is one of the major problems of the industry.
Click to expand...
bush league tracks are will rodgers downs and yavapai and blue ribbon downs and great lakes and so on... i wouldn't say ellis park, a regular in the kentucky circuit of racing, classifies as "bush league."

geary tried to make it a successful business and really made it fan friendly. last year he introduced a 4% takeout in the late pk4, that is unheard of. the kyhbpa screwed him and he refused to accept being forced to lose money this year. its unfortunate ky horseman's association HELPED lead to ellis OOB

BTW I grew up 20 miles south of Henderson, been attending ellis since I was a kid.
 
Mr. Sanderson

Mr. Sanderson

2
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

MIKEH75 said:
someone will come along and keep it open,that one person shouldn't deprive everyone else so he needs to sell it a person who will keep it open especially if its bringing in money and good for the local economy.
Click to expand...
it's a business. without slot revenue, or outside wagering revenue (ie Xpressbet, TVG etc) ellis has proven for years it loses money. Go ask Churchill Downs Inc who sold Geary the track for around 1/10th of what they bought it for. by opening ellis in the terms that geary has currently, he would be resigning himself to a losing meet.
 
oakas

oakas

EOG Addicted
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Speaking of bush league tracks, any of you guys ever been to Atokad Park in South Sioux City Neb.? They closed down quite awhile ago.

I always tell the story that a friend of mine was the brother of a trainer there.

Well it was the last day of the meet and he told me to come to the track and he would guarentee a winning day.

He told me who to bet on and I hit 9 out of 10 races. Hit a couple 12-1 and 14-1 longshots. I was betting like $100 win tickets and cashing every race but 1. Man was that a great day at the races.
 
WildBill

WildBill

2
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Almost every track in the world would make more money with a lone simulcast center and no racing or grandstand. Absolute fact in this day and age. Horses are just too expensive to care for unless they are top of the line runners. The industry needs 50% or more of the tracks to shut down and better leverage the good "content", but since that would put out a lot of farmers and horse people out of work it never happens. They just continue to hold the tracks and the ADWs hostage.

Its all about to blow up people. Even Santa Anita is barely making money and may not make it another decade. Hollywood and Bay Meadows are going bye bye because the economics of horse racing on the whole just don't work.
 
trytrytry

trytrytry

All I do is trytrytry
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

have not been there but wagered on it many times and that will be a local park that will be missed..hopefully for a year or two only.
 
The General

The General

Another Day, Another Dollar
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Seems the horse guys around here are more pumped for a few hours on the river boats instead of a day at the track like it was when I was younger. Sorry for ya Bucs.
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

its not officially over yet.....there are discussions going on, to try and make it feasible...
 
diggin'4gold

diggin'4gold

2
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Ellis Park will reopen next Friday, July 11th.
 
Ego74

Ego74

1
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly..

Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly..

Good to see we'll have racing and that 500 people who thought they'd have to look for another summer job, now won't have to

:cheers

Good news all around there
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly..

Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly..

Ego74 said:
Good to see we'll have racing and that 500 people who thought they'd have to look for another summer job, now won't have to

:cheers

Good news all around there
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we need to go this summer.....
 
oakas

oakas

EOG Addicted
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

Hey Bucs. I have to get in here and tell you I hit a trifecta at Ellis Park today for $1,548.20.

:party




My OTB decided to take them and drop a couple of other tracks.
 
Bucsfan67

Bucsfan67

EOG Master
Re: Sad day here in Evansville...After 85 years , Ellis Park to close unexpectedly....

oakas said:
Hey Bucs. I have to get in here and tell you I hit a trifecta at Ellis Park today for $1,548.20.

:party




My OTB decided to take them and drop a couple of other tracks.
Click to expand...


nice, brother, nice.......good hit
 
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