Churchill, Keeneland breaking ground near Army post

By Associated Press

OAK GROVE, Ky. (AP) – Churchill Downs Inc. and Keeneland are breaking ground on a racing facility in Kentucky.

The ceremony is Tuesday for the $150 million state-of-the-art live and historical racing venue in Oak Grove, Kentucky. The site is outside Fort Campbell, the sprawling Army post on the Kentucky-Tennessee state line.

Planned are up to 1,500 historical racing machines beginning next year, a 125-room hotel, a 1,200-seat grandstand and event space for indoor events, a 3,000-person outdoor amphitheater and stage and a state-of-the-art equestrian center including indoor and outdoor arenas. Historical racing machines resemble video gambling machines and offer bets on past horses races, keeping the names of the horses and the race secret.

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has awarded a license to Churchill and Keeneland for 12 live Standardbred racing dates beginning in October at the venue.