Keeneland Event Center Rendering
Lexington, KY – Keeneland announced it will build the Keeneland Event Center to house its simulcast racing and a new instant racing facility, akin to slot machines that operate off previously run races throughout history.
The 40,000 square foot facility that will include dining is scheduled to open in July 2015 near the Keene Barn.
A release from Keeneland states the new facility will maintain the "look and feel of existing structures on the property, featuring a limestone façade and tasteful, understated decor."
“We are excited about this new facility, and what it means for the horse industry and the community,” Keeneland Vice President and COO Vince Gabbert said. “Every initiative we undertake has to support a connection to those two constituencies. This will be an entertainment experience built around Thoroughbred racing, designed to attract new fans and to provide revenue to invest in purse money for horsemen and programs that enhance the horse business and the Central Kentucky community.”
The Keeneland Event Center will offer:
· Simulcast wagering operations, which will be moved from its current location in the Keeneland Grandstand to a state-of-the-art sports book setting, featuring 200 individual work stations, multiple HD TVs, mutuel clerks and self-service wagering machines
· 600 Instant Racing machines
· Dining ranging from a café to a sports bar, providing food service for 200 people
· Parking for 650 cars, including valet.
Keeneland has applied to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for a license to operate Instant Racing.
“We have a responsibility to use all of the tools at our disposal to better our industry, and Instant Racing provides another means for us to invest in our core business,” Gabbert said.
Instant Racing, which was approved by the racing commission in 2010, is currently conducted at Kentucky Downs near Franklin, Ky., and at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky.