Turfway Park facts for kids
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| Location | Boone County, near Florence, Kentucky, U.S. |
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| Owned by | Churchill Downs, Inc. |
| Date opened | 1959 |
| Course type | Flat/Thoroughbred |
| Notable races | Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes (G3) |
Turfway Park is a famous place in Florence, Kentucky, where exciting horse racing happens! It's about 10 miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio. This track hosts live races with amazing Thoroughbred horses during two main seasons: the Holiday season in December and the Winter/Spring season from January to early April. Even when there aren't live races, you can still watch and bet on races happening at other tracks all over North America.
In 2016, a group called the Horseplayers Association of North America ranked Turfway Park as the 11th best Thoroughbred racetrack in North America!
Contents
Discovering Turfway Park's History
Turfway Park first opened its doors in Florence, Kentucky, in 1959. Back then, it was known as Latonia Race Course. It got its name from an older, famous track called Latonia Race Track, which was in Covington, Kentucky. The original Latonia track was around from 1883 until 1939. It even hosted a very important race called the Latonia Derby, which was almost as famous as the Kentucky Derby!
How Turfway Park Got Its Name
The track's name changed to Turfway Park in 1986. This happened when a person named Jerry Carroll and his business partners bought the racing facility.
Who Owned Turfway Park Over Time?
Over the years, Turfway Park has had different owners. In 1999, Jerry Carroll sold parts of the track to three different companies: Gtech, Harrah's Entertainment (which later became Caesars Entertainment), and the non-profit Keeneland Association. Keeneland is another well-known race track in Kentucky. By 2005, Gtech sold its share, leaving Keeneland and Harrah's as equal owners.
Later, in 2012, a company called Rock Gaming bought a part of Turfway Park from Keeneland. Rock Gaming then bought Caesars' share in 2015. Finally, in 2019, Churchill Downs, Inc. (the company that owns the Kentucky Derby) bought Turfway Park. They planned to build a brand new facility there!
Exciting Races at Turfway Park
Turfway Park is home to some really cool races!
The Famous Jeff Ruby Steaks Race
One of the most famous races at Turfway Park is the Jeff Ruby Steaks. It started in 1972 and was first called the Spiral Stakes. The idea behind this race was for young, fast 3-year-old horses to "spiral up" from this race to other big races like the Blue Grass Stakes and then the ultimate Kentucky Derby. Many different companies have sponsored this race over the years. In 2018, it was renamed the Jeff Ruby Steaks, which sounds like "stakes" but is named after a restaurant! This race is considered a Grade III race, meaning it's a very important competition.
Other Important Races at Turfway
Turfway Park also used to host the Kentucky Cup Day of Champions. This event was like a warm-up for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is a huge racing event. The Kentucky Cup series included several important races, but it was last held in 2011.
The Special Racing Surface at Turfway
In 2005, Turfway Park became the first track in North America to use a special racing surface called Polytrack. This surface is made of silica sand, wax, and different fibers. It also has a hidden drainage system that lets water go through quickly. This means the track doesn't freeze or thaw in winter, which was a big problem before. Because of this, the track is always officially called "fast," no matter the weather!
In 2020, the Polytrack was replaced with an even newer synthetic surface called Tapeta. It's also made of sand, wax, and fibers. Turfway Park does not have a grass track for racing.
Turfway Park in the Movies
Did you know Turfway Park was mentioned in a movie? It was the fictional setting for the 2005 adventure/comedy movie Racing Stripes. However, no actual filming happened at the track; only its name was used in the story.
What Turfway Park Looks Like
The racing track itself is a one-mile oval. It has special sections called chutes for different race starting points. The long straight part of the track is 970 feet!
The old grandstand, where people used to watch the races, was taken down in 2020. A brand new facility is being built in its place. The property also has stables for about 1,000 horses.
TV Voices of Turfway Park
Many people have helped bring the excitement of Turfway Park to TV viewers!
- Mike Battaglia (1973–2016) was a well-known voice.
- Jimmy McNerney (2016–2023) was the Track Announcer and Television Host.
- Tony Calo (2023-Present) is the current Track Announcer.
- Kaitlin Free (2021–Present) is a Television Analyst.
Turfway Park's Racing Events
Turfway Park hosts many different stakes races. The ones with an asterisk (*) are still active today.
Top Graded Races
These are some of the most important races at Turfway Park: Grade III
- Jeff Ruby Steaks
- Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes
Other Exciting Races
- Winter/Spring Meet
- Turfway Prevue Stakes
- Wishing Well Stakes
- Cincinnati Trophy Stakes*
- Clipsetta Stakes
- Forego Stakes*
- Animal Kingdom Stakes
- Likely Exchange Stakes
- Dust Commander Stakes
- Valdale Stakes
- Latonia Stakes
- Tejano Run Stakes
- Bourbonette Oaks
- Queen Stakes
- Rushaway Stakes*
- Hansel Stakes
- Fairway Fun Stakes
- John Battaglia Memorial Stakes*
- Holiday Meet
- Holiday Inaugural Stakes*
- My Charmer Stakes
- Prairie Bayou Stakes*
- Gowell Stakes
- Holiday Cheer Stakes
Newport Racing and Gaming: Turfway's Sister Spot
Turfway Park has a sister location called Newport Racing & Gaming. It's a fun gaming place in Newport, Kentucky, right across the Ohio River from Cincinnati. It's also owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated. This facility opened on October 2, 2020.
Kentucky's laws only allow betting on horse racing. So, instead of traditional casino games, Newport Racing & Gaming has 500 special machines called historical racing machines. These machines look and play a lot like slot machines. But the results are based on real horse races from over 100 years ago! You can also watch and bet on live horse races from all over the country in their simulcast area.
In November 2021, Newport Racing & Gaming added a new section with a bar and stage for live music. This created two separate areas for guests to enjoy. They also have a restaurant called Smiley's Bar & Grille.
