For the past three years, the arrival of the fall season has meant live horse racing right here in Corbin, KY. If you have never seen the races for yourself at The Mint – Cumberland Run, then go ahead and mark your calendars right now, because you won’t want to miss out on the fun and excitement.
Racing will kick off at The Mint – Cumberland Run, located at 777 Winners Lane just off the Corbin Bypass, on Saturday, Oct. 11. On that day, The Mint will be partnering with WD Bryant ACE Hardware and Recteq Grills to present a special “Grill Off” event where visitors to the track will have the opportunity to sample some delicious grilled dishes.
There is no cost to visit the track and sample the food, but this event is being used as a fundraiser for the Corbin Police Department’s Shop with a Cop program. This means that, in exchange for the food and entertainment, you will be encouraged to make a donation to this great program that helps ensure area kids don’t go without gifts for Christmas. Again, donations are not required, but they are strongly encouraged.
The festivities will be getting started Oct. 11 at about 9 a.m. There will be live music starting around noon, and there will be a stick horse race for children to participate in approximately an hour before the first official race of the 2025 season.
I spoke last week to The Mint’s Shannon Taylor, who was excited to inform me about some upgrades to the track at the Cumberland Run facility, including the installation of a new American Flag, some bronze statues, and a decorative pool. She said that there is a new winner’s circle area as well, which will be used for special presentations at the conclusion of each race.
I was blown away the first time that I attended the live races at Cumberland Run. The view from the track area is gorgeous, especially once the leaves begin to change color. I have been equally impressed with the world class trainers and drivers who have been visiting Corbin in recent years to compete here. I have had the opportunity to speak to some of these individuals for stories here in the News Journal, and the experience has been truly fascinating.
I’m not a huge horse racing enthusiast, which may be blasphemous to say here in the Bluegrass State, but watching these races live right in my hometown has really been awesome. There is no charge to get in, you are provided with a free program, and unless you decide to bet on a race, purchase a souvenir, or buy a refreshment, you can enjoy a whole afternoon of top tier racing for FREE. You can’t beat that!
Of course, you will want to check out the merch stand, and at least consider buying a t-shirt, or a hat, or something. You’re also sure to get hungry or thirsty at some point, and betting at least a few bucks on a race or two is just too much fun to pass up. At least, that has been my experience…
So, here are the dates that you’ll need to mark:
- In October – 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 26th, 27th and 28th
- In November – 2nd, 3rd, 4th
That’s 14 days for you, your family, your friends, your co-workers, etc., to get out and enjoy some great racing action. For more info, check out The Mint on Facebook or at www.themintcumberland.com.
Two more things to mention really quickly – Shannon told me that The Mint has a brand new mobile app, so I wanted to let folks know that they can find out more info about that on the website or by searching for “Mint Gaming” in the app store. She also informed me that the U.S. Harness Drivers Club will be in town for opening weekend to present a $1,000 donation to the Kentucky State Police Shop with a Trooper program, and they will be making multiple donations over the course of the upcoming season to benefit the children of our local area. That is great news, and I would like to thank them for their willingness to do this.
Here’s to a great racing season! See you at the track!
