It has been announced that the land in which a potential Quarter Horse racetrack in Kentucky would be situated on has been sold to the group that is heading the venture.

News of the proposed raceway was first unveiled in September, as Churchill Downs Incorporated and Keeneland Association, Inc. announced a historic partnership to propose the construction of two new state-of-the-art racing facilities, one of which would be in Corbin.

On Tuesday (October 31), Willow Creek Farms, LLC closed on the 149 acres of land that it had under option with the Tri-County Joint Industrial Development Authority, according to an article by The Outlook.

Commenting on the closure of the deal, Keeneland Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Gabbert stated, "We were able to close on our option. We have the option in place on the land for quite some time and we actually closed on the property. We're the proud owners of 149 acres in Corbin now."

There are currently two racing licences available in the state, but neither has been earmarked for the proposed raceways as of yet. Churchill and Keeneland officials have been working with the commission in regard to securing the licences. "We've not gotten anything definitive from the Horse Racing Commission (regarding a racing licence),” said Gabbert. “We continue to work with them on a timeline, but don't have anything definitive from them."

The Churchill and Keeneland officials got the property rezoned in October, much to the delight of Corbin Economic Development Agency Executive Director Bruce Carpenter.

"We're very excited to see things continue to move forward,” said Carpenter. “This is a positive sign that we are close.”

(With files from The Outlook)