Thousands visit Ellis Park throughout Saturday for Kentucky Derby festivities

HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) — Ellis Park was no exception to the Kentucky Derby festivities on Saturday. Sources tell Eyewitness News 5,000 people visited the track to share some part in the most exciting two minutes in sports. For the 150th race, Eyewitness News asked what traditions Ellis Park is celebrating.

On Saturday evening, dozens of fans watched closely as they watched Mystik Dan’s photo finish in the 150th derby.

Coinciding with a big milestone in the race’s history, Ellis Park says it is continuing a tradition of creating a family-friendly environment.

“I welcome everybody to come out during our race meets — starts in July,” General Manager Matthew Pressley says. “But for the derby, we offer the opportunity to bring the family out, so you’re not held to the 21 and over — the adult crowd — you can bring the family out, enjoy the time with the kids. “We’ve had a lot of renovations to the property, and we’ve got a lot of family-themed events that are going to come out of here in the very near future surrounding our race meets.”

Some — like Joe Boatman — want to come back to Ellis after their derby experience.

“I’m going to be back — that’s for sure,” Boatman says. “Like I said, it’s been 20 years since I’ve been here, and I’ll try to come back all I can.”

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