In the southern American state of Kentucky and Churchill Downs Incorporated has reportedly asked for permission to bring winter thoroughbred horseracing meets to a new $200 million facility it is seeking to build in Campbell County.

According to a Thursday report from The Courier-Journal newspaper, the Louisville-headquartered firm has filed an official application with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission in hopes that it will be given authorization to hold such contests from December to March at its New Latonia Racing and Gaming venue, which it is planning to construct some six miles south of Cincinnati, Ohio.

Temporary transfer:

Churchill Downs Incorporated also explained that it wants to begin running these winter meets at its 143-year-old Churchill Downs venue in Louisville from January in advance of relocating the horseracing competitions to its more modern northern Kentucky venue from December of next year.

Important investment:

The Courier-Journal reported that Churchill Downs Inc. in planning to construct its New Latonia Racing and Gaming facility in stages beginning with a $150 million first phase that is to feature a mile-long racecourse alongside a club house, restaurants and stables. The firm purportedly detailed that it is hoping that the development will later be able to add a $50 million hotel so that it can be utilized for year-round training.

Sustaining support:

Churchill Downs Inc. described the ability to temporarily offer winter horseracing at its Louisville venue from January as ‘a critical short-term measure’ that would ‘support the thoroughbred racing circuit in Kentucky.’ It additionally announced that this could lead to ‘significantly increased purses and parimutuel handle’ that would result in ‘increased tax revenues’ for the state’s Thoroughbred Development Fund, Higher Education Fund, Equine Industry Program and Kentucky General Fund.

Competitor confusion:

For its part, Casino.org reported that the application from Churchill Downs Incorporated comes amid Jack Entertainment’s decision to sell its Turfway Park horseracing venue in northern Kentucky to Hard Rock International via a deal worth approximately $780 million. Although first unveiled in April, this transaction has purportedly yet to be approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission even though the winter horseracing season is due to start from December 3.