Inaugural quarterhorse races held in Kentucky
Horses strain toward the finish line during the Cherokee Stakes honoring the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians on opening day April 1. Revolutionary Racing Kentucky photo
More than $1 million in purses was awarded and thousands of fans attended the first races resulting from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ quarterhorse racing venture in Kentucky.
The races were held April 1-6 at Red Mile in Lexington, the first quarterhorse races in Kentucky in more than a decade.
Through a subsidiary of its commercial gaming business arm EBCI Holdings LLC, the tribe is a 49% owner of Revolutionary Racing Kentucky, the company behind a $55 million project to build Sandy’s Racing & Gaming, a world-class quarter horse racetrack, equestrian center and gaming facility in Eastern Kentucky.
While the track, Sandy Ridge, is under construction until Spring 2025, races will take place at the Red Mile in Lexington. Sandy’s Gaming, a historic horse racing facility, is expected to open later this year.
