HENDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (WEHT) – Racing and training were canceled at Ellis Park Sunday after a receiving barn was destroyed by a fire overnight. A fire official says crews from multiple departments were called to the scene just before 4:30 a.m.
According to Ellis Park General Manager Jeff Inman, no humans appeared to be in the barn at the time of the fire. Inman says he’s grateful for the help the Tri-State community continues to show Ellis Park.
Officials say initial indications are that all seven horses were rescued with one horse suffering “minor injuries.” Baskett Fire Department Chief Brent Morrow says the barn appears to be a “total loss.”
Henderson County Emergency Management Director Kenny Garrett says at least six fire departments responded to the blaze, as well as local agencies like the Salvation Army and the Henderson County Road Department.
It has been an unusual weekend at Ellis Park. On Saturday, a horse bucked its rider and ran several miles along the interstate to near downtown Evansville.
Bold and Bossy, the same horse that escaped the track Saturday, suffered injuries after Ellis Park’s receiving barn caught on fire this morning. Owner Michael Ann Ewing said she considered bringing the horse home yesterday, but opted to keep her stabled. The horse is being treated for burns at a hospital in Lexington.
