Efforts
Begin to Reopen Ellis Park
Clean-up efforts are underway
at Ellis Park to tentatively reopen the storm-battered
track for simulcasting operations on Wednesday,
Nov. 16.
Structural
engineers from Louisville construction firm
Luckett & Farley certified the track's clubhouse,
its historic main grandstand, the Sky Theatre
and the lower level of the jockeys' quarters
as structurally safe late yesterday afternoon.
Ellis
Park's main business during the off season is
its simulcast operation, allowing patrons to
wager on tracks currently racing from around
the country. Off-season simulcast operations
are centered solely in the track's clubhouse,
which was spared the brunt of the Nov. 6 tornado.
Clean-up efforts are currently focused on repairing
damage to the clubhouse and securing the grounds
to allow patrons a safe return. Those efforts
include repairing damage to the clubhouse roof,
fencing and the replacement of blown-out doors.
"We
are taking deliberate steps to make sure that
the facility will be safe and secure for our
patrons to return next week," said Ellis
Park Vice President and General Manager Paul
Kuerzi. "To hopefully be up and operating
so soon after this amount of devastation is
really a testament to the outpouring of support
we've received and to all our employees who
have worked so hard through all of this. Our
reopening will be a big morale boost, not only
to our staff, but to the whole community."
During
its reopening week, Ellis Park will take donations
for the Kentucky victims of the tornado. For
a $1 donation, patrons will receive unlimited
programs for the day's races. Twins Spires Club
members will also receive a 1000-point bonus
for each day they come to the track from Nov.
16-20.
The
track's grandstand terrace, adjacent to the
main grandstand structure, sustained heavy damage,
as did the paddock, jockeys' quarters and infield
tote board as the result of a tornado that hit
the track at approximately 2 a.m. (CST) Sunday
morning. The tornado also destroyed 10 barns
in the Ellis Park stable area and caused light
to moderate damage to several others. Three
of the 158 horses on the grounds died from injuries
suffered in the storm.
There
was no racing at Ellis Park at the time of the
storm as the track had completed its 2005 meet
on Sept. 5. Horses were on the grounds because
the track and stable area remained open for
training.
As
of midday Wednesday, 108 horses remained on
the grounds. Ellis Park officials hope that
all horses can be moved out of the barn area
by the end of the week to allow clean-up efforts
to proceed.
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