Sandy’s Racing | Gaming:
A First-Class Facility for a First-Class Community
Sasha Bush
The Ashland Beacon
“A dream doesn’t become reality through magic;
it takes sweat, determination, and hard work.”- Colin Powell
It’s not every day that we get to witness history in the making. Oct. 26, 2023, will go down in the history books as one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, as well as one of the biggest achievements in Eastern Kentucky. Hundreds if not thousands of people from both near and far came out to celebrate the grand opening of Sandy’s Racing and Gaming. The Ashland Alliance also celebrated this momentous event by holding its annual meeting just before the grand opening at 7 p.m. Sandy’s Racing is housed within a 75,000 square foot facility with 700 slot-like games that offer both a smoking and nonsmoking area, restaurant, two stages for performances, and the iconic BetMGM Race and Sportsbook. Sandy’s Racing is located at 10699 U.S. 60 and is open from 9 a.m. to 4 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
The kitchen of Sandy’s Racing features multiple dining options sure to appease any appetite. All the meat used within the restaurant has been locally sourced from AW Meat House, which is in Argillite, Kentucky. Their menu features a wide variety of items. Some of the menu’s highlights included the Big Sandy Burger, flatbreads, and root beer floats, which were also made from locally sourced root beer from The Peddler in Huntington, West Virginia. Walking around the restaurant you could hear the wide array of “Mmmm … this is so good!” and “They have really nailed the cook on this burger!” The BetMGM Race and Sportsbook is certainly a sight to behold. Nestled in among 5200 square feet, the sportsbook features several leather recliners and three large cinema-sized screens. It is certainly a sports lover’s dream.
It's simply crazy to think that it was just last summer the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission awarded the state’s ninth and final horse racing license to Revolutionary Racing Kentucky and that construction on what was the former Sears building had only just begun in early April. “Last year, we promised to bring you a first-class facility to Boyd County, and today, we can say promises were made- promises were kept!” stated Larry Lucas, Chairman of Revolutionary Racing Kentucky.
Governor Beshear was present during the grand opening festivities and ribbon-cutting ceremony and said during one of his speeches, “Sandy’s Racing is bringing top-tier racing, gaming and entertainment to Northeastern Kentucky, along with hundreds of new jobs for the people who call Boyd County, Kentucky and the surrounding region home.” From the very first day of construction to the grand opening ceremony, Sandy’s Racing has made good on every promise ever made and brought with them hundreds of good-paying jobs. More than 300 local union workers were employed throughout the facility's construction and around 90% of all materials and supplies were made in the United States. In addition to those jobs, the opening of Sandy’s Racing also provided over 250 good-paying jobs to local area residents.
Construction on the horse racing track is set to begin in early 2024. This will feature Kentucky’s only quarter horse racetrack and equestrian center and will be located on a total of 182 acres situated up on the ridge just behind Sandy’s Racing and Gaming. While the first horse races aren’t set to happen until sometime in 2025, the anticipation is already building. This next phase of Sandy’s project will bring with it the creation of more well-paying jobs and millions of dollars in tax revenue. The folks at Sandy’s Racing and Gaming certainly know how to make good on their promises and turn a vision into reality. With the opening of Sandy’s Racing and Gaming, new life has been breathed into our humble little community, and with it a new vision … a vision that we can succeed … we are worth it … and why not here? Why not Eastern Kentucky?
