The 25-day meeting at Ellis Park in Henderson, Kentucky, will feature 18 added-money events worth record prize money of $3.7 million, officials from the track announced Thursday.
The lone graded and richest event on the calendar is the GIII Pucker Up S., a nine-furlong contest on the turf for 3-year-old fillies for a purse of $400,000 (including $150,000 from the Kentucky Thoroughbred Development Fund). The Pucker Up is one of seven stakes across the $1.95-million Kentucky Downs Preview weekend Aug. 3 and 4.
A pair of valuable races are programmed for Sunday, Aug. 11. The one-mile Listed Ellis Park Derby is worth $275,000 (incl. $125,000 KTDF) for the 3-year-olds and is accompanied by the Listed Groupie Doll S., a $175,000 (incl. $75,000 KTDF) for older fillies and mares at a mile on the main track.
The meet opens Thursday, July 4 with the running of the $125,000 Dade Park Dash (incl. $25,000 KTDF), and the schedule also includes the Ellis Park Juvenile and Ellis Park Debutante for 2-year-old males and fillies, respectively, Aug. 11 and the $175,000 Audubon Oaks.
The Ellis Park season will begin on a Thursday-Sunday schedule but will shift to Saturday-Monday from July 13-Aug. 26.
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