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Turfway Park: Construction on Northern Kentucky's horse racing track begins after a delay

Julia Fair
Cincinnati Enquirer
An artist's rendering of the planned remodeled Turfway Park Racing & Gaming in Florence, Kentucky.

The grand opening is not open to the public, though it will be streamed on Facebook. This story has been updated. 

Northern Kentucky's Turfway Park horse racing track has been through a lot

Over the past two years, a series of events threatened the track's very existence. First, people feared a competitor would swipe the track's few remaining race days doled out by regulators. Then, a Kentucky Supreme Court decision ruled a major funding source for all tracks was illegal.  

Those threats seem to be gone now. On Friday, Churchill Downs will host a groundbreaking event at the Florence track for a $145 million renovation project, according to a press release.

For subscribers:  Northern Kentucky's horse industry finally got off-site gambling machines. Now it may lose them and their revenue.

Say hello to Turfway Park Racing & Gaming.  

Churchill Downs will replace the rusty grandstand, install 1,500 "historical horse racing" machines that closely resemble slot machines, build a new clubhouse, a one-mile synthetic track, an inner dirt track, and other gaming machines. The venue is expected to open in the summer of 2022.  

It's estimated to create about 800 construction jobs and 400 new full- and part-time positions on top of what Turfway employs now.  

'Turfway Park is being held hostage':  Regulators and lawmakers blame owners for NKY race track's decline

Churchill Downs will hold its groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. Friday at the track. it is not open to the public, though the event will be streamed on Facebook. 

People will hear from:

  • Gov. Andy Beshear .
  • Boone County state Sen. John Schickel.
  • Kenton County state Rep. Adam Koenig.
  • Florence Mayor Diane Whalen. 
  • Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen. 
  • Turfway Park Racing & Gaming general manager Chip Bach. 

The track's rocky history 

The track's most recent troubles began in 2019. 

Local race fans worried the track would cease to exist when Churchill Downs went after a chunk of races which regulators typically gave to the Florence track. Regulators blamed the demise of the track on its former owners, who didn't put in Historical Horse Racing Machines — essentially slot machines — that other tracks used to raise revenue.

On March 19, Churchill Downs will host a groundbreaking event at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming in Florence, Kentucky, to begin the $145 million renovation project.

Then, the region rejoiced when Churchill Downs instead bought the track and created the revitalization plan.

A look back:Churchill Downs to open $38M off-track horse-betting site Friday in Newport, Ky.

In 2020, the Kentucky Supreme Court ruled the machines were illegal, and Churchill Downs delayed the project. 

In February, Kentucky lawmakers passed a bill to legalize the machines, which Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, signed. The bill changed the definition of pari-mutuel wagering in Kentucky statutes to include the machines.

Julia is the Northern Kentucky government reporter through the Report For America program. The Enquirer needs local donors to help fund her grant-funded position. If you want to support Julia's work, you can donate to her Report For America position at this website or email her editor Carl Weiser at cweiser@cincinna.gannett.com to find out how you can help fund her work. 

Do you know something she should know? Send her a note at jfair@enquirer.com and follow her on Twitter at @JFair_Reports.

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