Ellis Park

by Dan Ross and T.D. Thornton The Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) Authority on Wednesday summoned Churchill Downs Racetrack and its corporate parent, CDI, to a hearing before a panel of HISA board members in an attempt to secure payment of 2025 assessment fees that CDI has allegedly failed to submit on behalf of four racetracks the gaming corporation owns in Kentucky and Pennsylvania, including its flagship track in Louisville. HISA wants Churchill to pay $2,408,501 in allegedly overdue 2025 fees (plus $93,998 in interest) to the Authority...

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA)-related rulings from around the country. The following rulings were reported on HISA's "rulings" portal and through the Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Unit (HIWU)'s "pending" and "resolved" cases portals. Among this week's rulings, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Authority has issued to Churchill Downs Incorporated four notices for non-payment of its 2025 fees related to federal regulatory oversight of its Churchill Downs, Turfway Park, Ellis Park and Presque Isle Downs racetracks. The matter will...

Earlier this week, Carlo Vaccarezza reported to the BloodHorse that his trainer son, Nick, had been denied stalls at Gulfstream Park for horses owned by his father. Additionally, Carlo Vaccarreza claimed that despite taking steps to remove his name from the stable's limited liability ownership company--effectively shifting ownership of the horses to his son, Michael--track officials told Nick Vaccarezza that they would deny his entries. Carlo Vaccarezza described the action as an act of retaliation for his involvement in the contentious fight to stop the track's owners from decoupling its...

Kelsey Danner probably didn't look at the tote board prior to Thursday's first race at Kentucky Downs. She's not a bettor, she says. But she thought her starter, Repentless (Violence), could run a bit, something the bettors obviously didn't pick up on. They sent the first-time starter off at 25-1. With Adam Beschizza aboard, the colt won by three lengths and paid $52.08. It was not her longest priced winner at the meet. Fellow first-time starter Ground Support (Army Mule) won Saturday's second race for the Danner Stable and paid...

Ellis Park Racing & Gaming closed its 25-day summer season Sunday on a high note, generating $77 million in all-sources handle, a 6% increase over last year's record. "All of us at Ellis Park are truly grateful to both our local community and the broader horse racing community for their incredible support this summer," said Steve Roof, general manager of Ellis Park Racing & Gaming and Owensboro Racing & Gaming. "This shared enthusiasm drives our momentum forward and reinforces Ellis Park as one of the premier summer tracks in the...

4th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 6f, 2:16 p.m. ET. Peter Blum homebred ELITE (Into Mischief) makes her first start for trainer Rodolphe Brisset. Out of Flawless (Mr. Greeley), the 2-year-old is a full-sister to current sire Authentic. Also drawn in the same race is Gary & Mary West homebred Fashion Designer (Into Mischief), who is trained by Brad Cox. Her dam Beach Walk produced current sire Life Is Good and GSW Most Wanted (Candy Ride {Arg}). Woodslane bred Sister Troienne (Munnings) is a Brian Lynch trainee whose own dam is...

5. READY FOR CANDY, SAR, 8/17, 1 1/8 miles (turf) (VIDEO) Beyer Speed Figure-86 (f, 3, by Twirling Candy--Enoree, by More Than Ready) O-Lindy Farms. B-Mark Dodson (Ont-C). T-Philip Antonacci. J-Irad Ortiz Jr. The Antonacci family is legendary in harness racing, but has had success with thoroughbreds, too, and February $400k Fasig Tipton buy Ready for Candy made a splash at Saratoga in her 3-year-old debut. Now trained by young Phil Antonacci, she controlled the pace to the stretch then zipped away by 7 ¾ lengths. For her previous connections,...

When Andrew Schwarz and his sister Wendy Schwarz-Gilder decided to turn their longstanding enthusiasm for the Turf into a deeper commitment, in 2017, the option that best matched their outlook was a modest breeding program. If that meant taking their time, patiently building each page, so be it. All they knew was that they wanted to work with others of a similar disposition: people who gave time to each other, and to their horses. Schwarz, after all, is a real estate developer in New Orleans. "And in real estate, five...

Like an everlasting gobstopper, Swamp King (Silver State--El Piba, by Lookin At Lucky) kept going to best his opponents at second asking in a Pea Patch maiden on Sunday. Getting his picture taken was the signal that his freshman sire celebrated his first winner. Owned by Claiborne Farm, the dark bay made his first start over the grass at Ellis and was well-beaten July 21. Fitted with blinkers and off as a 5-1 shot here, the 2-year-old bided his time along the rail as a scramble for supremacy between longshots...

9th-ELP, $100K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1mT, 4:42 p.m. ET. TRUST ACCOUNT (Into Mischief) is set to be unveiled after going for $1.5-million to the Heider Family during Keeneland September. Sent to trainer Brendan Walsh, the filly is out of GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf champ Shared Account (Pleasantly Perfect), who also produced GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine Sharing (Speightstown). This dam counts as half-sisters Canadian GSW Colonial Flag (Pleasant Tap) and GSW Sparkle Blue (Hard Spun). Also headed to the gate for the first time is...

6th-SAR, $100K, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 4:06 p.m. ET. Amo Racing went to $900,000 to acquire GUITARIST (Quality Road) at last year's Keeneland September Sale. Sent to trainer Chad Brown, the colt is out of GISP Bernina Star (Harlan's Holiday), who was a $1.2-million buy for Don Alberto at the 2019 Keeneland November Sale while Sheza Shining Star (Curlin) was in-utero. Guitarist's dam is a half-sister to GSW National Flag (Speightstown) and SW Perfect Flight (Uncle Mo). Under the first-time starter's third dam we find GISW & MGISP Eddington (Unbridled)....

Neil Pessin, who abruptly left the training business in mid-May, has landed a new position as an assistant to trainer Michelle Nihei on the Kentucky circuit, the conditioner confirmed Thursday. The conditioner of Grade I winner Bell's the One (Majesticperfection), Pessin saddled his final runner at Keeneland at the end of April and took some time to sell off some of his tack and other gear. But Pessin admits that sitting idly by isn't something he does especially well, and he ultimately accepted an offer from Nihei to oversee a...