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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2019 ❚ BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS ❚ PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
‘A great day for Kentucky racing’ Turfway Park sale gets OK Julia Fair Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
LEXINGTON -- A unanimous vote secured Turway Park’s future in Florence. The 15-member Kentucky Horse Race Commission approved Churchill Downs’ purchase of Turfway Park Tuesday morning in Lexington. Now that the Louisville-based company got regulatory approval, the rest of the plans for New Turfway Park can move forward. On Friday Churchill Downs announced it would pay approximately $46 million for the 200-acre property whose pending sale with Hard Rock International had been valued at $35 million. The company will build what it calls New Turfway Park for about $150 million, though that fi gure includes the purchase price. “This is a great day for Kentucky racing,” said Churchill Downs President Kevin Flanery. The transformation of the 200-acre property begins in April when the grandstand will be torn down, Flanery told commissioners at the meeting. If all goes according to plan, the New Turfway Park will open in summer 2021. Flanery knocked on the wooden podium for luck and acknowledged that it was an “aggressive” timeline to get the project done. Commissioners listened as Flanery told them about the promised 1,500 Historical Racing Terminals set to be installed at the new facility. The machines, which resemble slot-machines, allow people to bet on the results of old races. Commissioners were frustrated with Turfway Park’s previous owners, Detroit-based Jack Entertainment, for not installing the machines in the past. The replacement grandstand will have retractable seats, Flanery explained. That way, the space can be used for events when facility isn’t being used for races. Vice Chair Mark Simendinger shared he does not
Rendering of Turfway Park Racing & Gaming. PROVIDED | CHURCHILL DOWNS
want to see the facility focus more on gaming than horses, alluding that’s what Belterra Park in Cincinnati does. “While I understand that this might be good for events, I would just like to encourage you to keep the horse player in mind,” he told Flanery. Aside from the actual building, commissioners had questions about economic factors that could impact Northern Kentucky. Commissioners wanted Flanery to consider using construction fi rms with minority representation. They also wanted to know what the wages will be for the estimated 400 full-time jobs. Flanery told the commissioners he didn’t know those fi gures yet. Overall, the commissioners complimented Churchill Downs on putting the deal together quickly. Commissioner Brereton Jones, Jr. said Turfway Park did a “good job putting band aids,” on where they
could, but Churchill Downs brings money to improve the facility that the previous owners might no have had. Florence Mayor Diane Whalen was also at the meeting and said this deal benefi ts everyone involved. “It keeps racing in Florence and Northern Kentucky,” said Whalen, who hopes she gets to ride the bulldoze at least once when the grandstand comes down. Julia is the new Northern Kentucky government reporter through the Report For America program. The Enquirer needs a local donor to help her grant-funded position. Email her editor Carl Weiser for more details at cweiser@cincinna.gannett.com. Do you know something she should know? Send her a note at jfair@enquirer.com and follow her on twitter at @JFair_Reports.
It’s whole new ball game - and name - for Florence baseball team James Weber Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
The fi eld at UC Health Stadium will host a fall festival during October. JAMES WEBER/THE ENQUIRER
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FLORENCE – When Clint Brown took over the Florence Freedom in 2004-05, he wanted to change the team name but couldn’t because there wasn’t enough time before the new season began and there were more urgent priorities. According to Josh Anderson, the current Freedom general manager, Brown wanted a fresh start back then to separate the franchise from the image of its previous owner, Chuck Hildebrandt, who founded the team but caused legal and fi nancial troubles along the way. Brown died in January 2018, and now that there’s a new ownership group in charge, Northern Kentucky’s
See BASEBALL, Page 2A
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professional baseball team is getting a new chance at a fresh start. The team organization announced Oct. 2 the Freedom name would go away, eff ective immediately. Fans will get to choose the new team name as part of a contest online at fl orencefreedom.com/nametheteam. Submissions will be taken until Oct. 16, and the grand prize winner will receive a pair of lifetime season tickets to the team. “We want everyone to know it’s a whole new ball game in Florence,” said David DelBello, part of the new ownership group and chief executive offi cer of the franchise. “We want to create an atmosphere of entertainment and excitement. We want to recreate the
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