Quarter Horse Track proposed near London Kentucky

There is 1 more racetrack license available for the state of Kentucky, and it may go to a proposed Quarter horse track to be located near London Kentucky.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Authority may decide as early as this year (so, some time in the next 5 weeks) to give the last license for Kentucky to Sprint Racing Partners’. Their members are as follows:

Chris Sullivan - co founder of Outback Steakhouse

Ed Allred - owner of Los Alamitos Race Course in California

R. D. Hubbard - owner of Ruidoso Downs in New Mexico, as well as former owner of Hollywood Park in California

John T.L. Jones, Jr - long time Kentucky horsemen

The applicants have stated that they want to build the quarter horse track regardless if casinos are approved for Kentucky or not.

A hearing on the matter is scheduled for December 10 2007, with a possible application on the schedule for the December 17 2007 Kentucky Horse Racing Authority meeting.

The original proposal was announced 8 months ago, and the partnership seeking the track is wanting it to be resolved at the next meeting with a final approval.

Part of the rush for a decision may have to do with the inauguration of a new governor, and whether casino style betting would be allowed at certain horse race tracks that were approved before a certain date.

It should fill a need for that area, and provide another venue for the horse industry to attract additional breeds and disciplines to the state.

Adding the KEEP initiative with the Kentucky horse breeding incentives, and it appears that Kentucky is establishing itself as THE leader for the horse industry relative to the rest of the world.  People can claim that other places are “horse capitols” - but those other locations are more for the people’s comfort, rather than for breeding the best horses in the world.