Last week, several items came together and with the Governor expected to sign the bill later this week, Eureka Downs is inching closer to having horse races.
For more than a decade, community members, along with several others across the state, have been working with legislatures to return horse racing to Kansas.
Last Tuesday, April 2, the Greenwood County Fair Board received notice that they would be awarded a $2 million grant from the sports betting fund, contingent on if House Bill 2434 was approved by state legislation. This grant will be used for updates to the backside and concourse area. Before racing can be held, the crews will need to resurface the track, install new railings, purchase equipment, and address other various needs in the barn area. For the concourse, the organization will be looking at the roof, HVAC, plumbing, electricity needs, insulation and various other projects.
On Wednesday, April 3, HB2434 (a bill concerning parimutuel wagering) was voted out of the federal and state committee and was put within HB 2532, a bill concerning insurance.
When this happened, HB2532 became a “shell bill” with the bill now only relating to Kansas Parimutuel Racing Act. This procedure is also known as “gut and go.”
Now, HB 2532 amends the Kansas Parimutuel Racing Act to credit tax revenue generated from wagers on historical horse races to the Kansas Horse Breeding Development Fund and the Horse Fair Racing Benefit Fund. Onethird of the tax revenue generated from wagers on historical horse races would be credited to the Kansas Horse Breeding Development Fund and two-thirds would be credited to the Horse Fair Racing Benefit Fund.
The bill then passed at the Senate level and finally passed through the House late Thursday, April 4.
It is believed that the Golden Circle, the former Greyhound Park in Park City, will open in the fall of 2025 with historical horse racing.
The grant; however, will allow the fair board to make several of the needed updates before that time with the hopes of racing returning to Eureka Downs by spring of 2026.
A conference call was expected to be held later this week and the fair board will then create a more detailed plan/timeline. (Courtesy photo)
