Churchill Downs is moving the remainder of its 2023 Spring Meet to Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky, after 12 horse deaths at the Louisville racetrack during the past six weeks.
Horse Racing Nation was first to report the news of the Spring Meet being moved “beginning late next week, perhaps next Saturday.” Two sources close to the situation confirmed the report to The Courier Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.
A formal announcement from Churchill Downs is expected later Friday, according to a tweet from Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated. The track’s Spring Meet runs through July 3.
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The move to Ellis Park follows multiple emergency meetings in Louisville this week regarding horse safety.
A closed-door summit was held Tuesday between the state and track’s regulatory veterinarians and veterinarians with the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority. A track surface expert walked the dirt Wednesday, and Churchill on Thursday called a last-minute meeting before announcing new measures that will be implemented at the track.
Those measures include:
- Effective immediately, horses will be restricted to four starts during a rolling eight-week period.
- Horses will have ineligibility standards for poor performance: if a horse is beaten by more than 12 lengths in five consecutive starts, it will be ineligible to race at Churchill Downs until approved to resume by the Equine Medical Director.
- Pause of track-based incentives including trainer start bonuses and payout allocations to every race finisher. Only the top five finishes will receive payouts. Churchill Downs is talking with horsemen about what will happen to the funds previously given to lower-placed finishers.
One horse owner who spoke with The Courier Journal on the condition of anonymity said, “It seems odd that they would implement new safety precautions and announce those to the horseman but the next day there is talk of moving to Ellis Park a month early.”
Trainer Ron Moquett, who started King Russell in Kentucky Derby 149, said he’s on board with the move “in an effort to protect horses.”
“We wake up every day dealing with change,” Moquett told The Courier Journal via text. “As long as we can take care of the horses, I’m OK.”
Ellis Park opened in 1922 and sits roughly 134 miles west of Louisville. It has a meet scheduled to kick off July 7.
Horse Racing Nation reported the condition book will remain the same amid the move to Ellis, and Churchill’s racing office has promised to assist with travel to the track.
This story will be updated.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton. Reach Stephanie Kuzydym atskuzydym@courier-journal.com.
