Page 102 - March_2023

This is an historic day for the thousands of Quarter Horse owners who call Kentucky home...we are ready to welcome our friends from across the country to come here and add to the legacy and tradition that is Kentucky horse racing.” - Dr. Richard Connelley, President of the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association
In a press release that announced that
the KHRC had awarded the license to Revolutionary Racing, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said of the planned track, “We are excited to have Quarter Horse racing back in Kentucky. This project invests $55 million and creates 200 jobs in the northeast corner
of our commonwealth. Bringing Quarter Horse racing back to Kentucky is an exciting opportunity to honor a lost Kentucky tradition and contribute to the state’s economy.”
Dr. Richard Connelley, President of the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association (KQHRA), said at the announcement, “This is an historic day for the thousands of Quarter Horse owners who call Kentucky home. For decades, we’ve had to travel to other states to race, so we are ready to welcome our friends from across the country to come here and add to the legacy and tradition that is Kentucky horse racing.”
Phase One of the project includes the construction of the sprint track, the historical horse racing facility, a paddock with offices and a walking ring, two racing barns with 88 stalls each, a test barn, and a parking area. The construction is expected to be completed in 2024. The facility will be built on 177 acres and nearly $1 million in new tax revenues are expected to be generated each year.
Prentice Salter, chief executive officer of Revolutionary Racing Kentucky, said, “We are excited to take the next step in our journey to bring a world-class facility to Boyd County. We will continue to work closely with the Kentucky Racing Commission, our Quarter Horse partners, and the community as we build something that all Kentuckians can be proud of.”
Adam Koenig, executive director of the Kentucky Quarter Horse Racing Association and a former state legislator, expressed his excitement about the new track and touched on its importance to the breeding industry in the state.
“I think having a Quarter Horse track will be a big deal when it comes to the breeding industry and the jobs,” Koenig said. “We obviously have the Thoroughbreds covered (five tracks), we have three Standardbred tracks, we have the incentives for folks to breed their horses here, and I have learned recently that there are about as many Quarter Horses born in Kentucky as there are Thoroughbreds. But given the fact that since we haven’t had a
Participating in the ground-breaking ceremony for Sandy’s Racing/Gaming near Ashland, Ky., are (top photo) Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, local officials and Revolutionary Racing Kentucky partners; and (bottom photo) representatives from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
Quarter Horse race in the state since 2010 (at Red Mile), I think it is fair to say that breeding for racing [in the state] has disappeared. Having the racetrack will bring that back
and create another avenue for Quarter Horse breeding in Kentucky, and that’s exciting.
“At this point, we have the best Thoroughbred circuit in America,” Koenig added. “We’re working toward that with the Standardbreds and we’re making progress there, and hopefully, and I think it is entirely possible, that four or five years down the road we can have the best Quarter Horse meet in
the country. All those things are exciting, and I think it’s a great opportunity. I know the people in Boyd County and Ashland are also excited about everything.”
Andrew Steele, head of the Boyd County Convention and Tourism Bureau, is someone who is especially excited about the opening of the racetrack and gaming facility.
“It’s huge for our area,” Steele related. “The excitement is there, and once we get close to the opening, people are going to be pumped. It’s going to bring a lot of people to this community and a lot of additional
revenue dollars and tax dollars to our area. From a tourism and economic development perspective, it has opened doors for us to
be able to talk to people about restaurants, hotels, and other forms of entertainment surrounding the track. When I’m trying to attract conferences and conventions, even youth sports events, and speaking with parents, it will provide us a huge selling point for something fun and cool to do. And people in the community will also see it as additional entertainment for our area. It isn’t just a racetrack and gaming. The facility is going to have live music and dining. It’s way more than just a racetrack and gaming.
“If you think of Eastern Kentucky and
the Appalachia area in general, over the last
20 or so years the area has taken a lot of hits,” Steele added. “I think a lot of people don’t recognize what a big economic downturn our communities have had. Getting attractions like this and using them to boost our community can attract other entities to improve our quality of life. It attracts other potential big-revenue drivers for our community. It’s a big win for eastern Kentucky.”
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100 SPEEDHORSE March 2023