Historic Louisville-based Thoroughbred racing facility Churchill Downs announced on Sept. 5 that it is planning to build a new $200 million live Thoroughbred racing facility in Northern Kentucky.
Named New Latonia Racing & Gaming, the facility's location within the Latonia area has not yet been announced, but is projected to stay open year-round as a training facility with seasonal live racing, which will benefit and support Northern Kentucky's Thoroughbred racing circuit.
During the first phase of construction, New Latonia is projected to add up to $150 million to the Northern Kentucky economy, according to a release, creating nearly 400 full and part-time positions, plus roughly 800 construction jobs. This first phase will include the construction of a historical racing facility with up to 1,500 machines (basically machines that look like slot machines where you can bet on previously-run races), a high-end club house, food and beverage hubs and a mile-long synthetic race track, inner dirt track and stabling facilities.
“Just as Derby City Gaming’s historical racing machines have supercharged purses at Churchill Downs Racetrack, we plan to do the same for Northern Kentucky’s racing fans at New Latonia,” said Kevin Flanery, President of CDRT in a press release. “Our goal is to deliver an ultra-competitive racing product with more entries and high-quality horses that appeal to bettors and horseplayers nationwide.”
The release says Churchill Downs has requested that while the facility is being built, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission host their 2020 winter Thoroughbred racing meet at Churchill Downs, with plans to host future races at the Northern Kentucky track.
The second phase of the New Latonia Racing & Gaming proposal could include the addition of a hotel, which would increase the project's investment up to $50 million.
For more info, visit churchilldownsinc.com.
