Ellis Park draws 97 opening-day entries after shift from Churchill

What a difference a year makes.

A year ago on Belmont Stakes day, Churchill Downs was unable to conduct turf racing but did have 11 races on the main track with 78 starters vying for $1,014,000 in purses.

This year's Belmont Stakes day will feature no racing at Churchill as the Kentucky racing scene moves to Ellis Park through Aug. 27. The "opening day" card attracted 97 entries across 10 races before scratches, with $797,000 in purses. Handle last year was $6,342,616.

When news first broke of Churchill shifting its dates to Ellis, which parent company Churchill Downs Inc. acquired last year, the tone of the move intimated that the racing would have a sort of "Churchill at Ellis" vibe similar to when the New York Racing Association conducted the 2022 Belmont Park fall meeting at Aqueduct and called it "Belmont at Aqueduct."

That approach has shifted, given that marketing materials for the upcoming racing at Ellis have disavowed any mention of Churchill Downs.

Racing through July 4 will use the already-written Churchill Downs condition book. The "traditional" Ellis Park meeting begins July 7.

Churchill made the move to Ellis after 12 equine fatalities in a period beginning in late April when Kentucky Derby contender Wild On Ice broke down following a workout. Churchill conducted six days of racing without a fatality to close the now-abandoned meeting.

"The team at Churchill Downs takes great pride in our commitment to safety and strives to set the highest standard in racing, consistently going above and beyond the regulations and policies that are required,” CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen said. "What has happened at our track is deeply upsetting and absolutely unacceptable. Despite our best efforts to identify a cause for the recent horse injuries, and though no issues have been linked to our racing surfaces or environment at Churchill Downs, we need to take more time to conduct a top-to-bottom review of all of the details and circumstances so that we can further strengthen our surface, safety and integrity protocols.