Bourbon War places a close fourth in the Florida Derby, gets 10 Kentucky Derby points for a total of 31

Jockey Luis Saez rose from the saddle after Maximum Security beat Bodexpress in Saturday's Florida Derby.
Bourbon War, with Irad Ortiz Jr. up, is shown finishing a close fourth. (Photo by Derbe Glass via Paulick Report) 

Midway-connected Bourbon War placed fourth in today's $1 million Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, giving him 10 more points to qualify for the Kentucky Derby but earning no guarantee that his total of 31 will put him among the 20 starters on May 4.

The 1⅛-mile race was won in 1:48.96 by undefeated but not-as-well-regarded Maximum Security, who went off at 9-2, led wire to wire under Luis Saez and earned 100 Derby points, guaranteeing a Kentucky Derby spot for a horse that won first race, a $16,000 claimer, on Dec. 20.

Bodexpress, an 0-for-4 maiden colt who went off at 70-1, was second, and earned 40 points, almost assuring him of a Kentucky Derby slot. Code of Honor, bred and owned by Will Farish, ran third and added 20 points to the 54 he already had -- enough to be in the Derby, having edged out Bourbon War in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream.

Bourbon War is owned by Bourbon Lane Stable of Midway and Lake Star Stable. The owners were interviewed on TVG shortly before the race, and said 100 of their friends and family went to Hallandale Beach for the race.

The horse's 31 points place him 15th in the Derby point standings. He has the least non-restricted stakes earnings, $90,200, of the top 21 horses. Haikal, owned by Dubai-based Shadwell Stable, which has a large farm near Midway, ranks eighth with 50 points and has earnings of $247,500.

Today, Bourbon War was the occasional betting favorite at 9-5 or 2-1; he had the latter odds at post time and was second choice to Hidden Scroll. He broke from the fourth hole and was near the back of the 11-horse field until about half a mile to go, when jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. went outside to find running room and put on an effort to get into the money.

Maximum Security returned $11.60, $7.40 and $5.40. Bodexpress paid $47.40 and $16.60 and Code of Honor paid $4.20 to show.

Legislatve Update: Session ends with passage of public-employee pension bill Rep. Graviss opposed

This column is a combination of one submitted last week and one submitted tonight.

By Joe Graviss
State representative for Woodford and parts of Fayette and Franklin counties

When the General Assembly returned to the Capitol on Thursday to complete this year’s legislative session, one unresolved issue towered over the rest.  Regrettably, the solution now set to become law is not the one we need, and the very way it was approved – late at night, before the bill could even be read – was a near-repeat of last year’s controversial and ultimately unconstitutional public-pension bill.

That 2018 legislation, as you may recall, was mainly about retirement benefits for teachers, while this year’s deals with an extreme jump in retirement payments for our regional public universities and quasi-government agencies like health departments and rape-crisis centers.  If nothing is done, these payments would set them back more than $100 million annually, causing steep cuts in services and likely forcing some to close.

The legislature gave these universities and agencies a 12-month reprieve last year, and in the House, at least, there was broad, bipartisan support to extend that freeze for another 12 months.  That would give the legislature’s new public-pension working group time to come up a permanent solution that could then be addressed as part of the next two-year budget.

The Senate, however, did not want to go that route, leaving us in search of another way, which is what passed in the session’s final hours on Thursday.  Governor Bevin now has 10 days to decide whether to veto or sign it into law.

Many may wonder why these retirement payments were scheduled to go up so much so fast.  A significant reason can be traced back to the summer of 2017, when Governor Bevin’s new appointees on the Kentucky Retirement Systems board immediately dropped annual investment growth assumptions to the most conservative rates in the nation.

These investments make up a substantial part of each retirement check, so that single vote meant that the long-term liabilities went up by billions of dollars overnight.  That, on top of the board’s additional changes in payroll growth and inflation rate, meant every agency contributing to these systems saw their annual payments go up significantly, too.  The state is able to absorb these costs, but many of our quasi-government agencies are not.

What the legislature passed on Thursday grants that second-year freeze everyone wants, but at a too-steep cost that puts more pressure on state finances, harms the most underfunded public retirement system in the country and makes it possible for hundreds if not thousands of public employees/retirees to lose benefits they’ve earned and are counting on.

It is a complicated matter, but this bill takes the affected universities and agencies out of the state retirement system – unless they decide by the end of December to opt back in.  If they choose to remain, they will have to find a way to pay a 70 percent increase in their annual retirement payments.

If they stay out, however, they will have to pay off their portion of the retirement system’s liabilities, but at a rate low enough that it would take decades, maybe a half-century or more, to get there.  Imagine buying a house with a 30-year mortgage and finding out that, at the end, you owe more than you did when you bought it.  That’s what this bill does.

For the universities and agencies leaving the state retirement system, new employees and those hired since the start of 2014 will be placed in a defined-contribution retirement plan like a 401(k).  Career employees hired before then would have the option of staying enrolled in the state retirement system, but if their school or agency defaults on just one monthly payment, they will immediately and permanently be placed in the 401(k)-like retirement plan with the others.  Those already retired from these agencies would also see their benefits stopped as well, until the matter is resolved and monthly payments resume.

It is important to emphasize that this bill only affects those paying into what is called the Kentucky Employee Retirement System.  This bill has no impact on teachers, local government employees and those who work in hazardous-duty jobs like police officers and firefighters.  Employees at the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville have different retirement plans and are unaffected, as well.

Other bills

Although this bill was the most controversial issue the House and Senate considered on Thursday, some other worthwhile bills did pass that day.  One will have businesses make reasonable accommodations for its pregnant employees, while the other will make our elementary and secondary schools tobacco-free unless they decide to opt out.  Most schools have already adopted this policy, but this will ensure it applies more uniformly.

Most bills that clear the House and Senate fall into five broad categories: education; health and well-being; criminal justice; economic development; and tweaks to the way government is run.

            The most prominent, and bipartisan, educational bill this year is focused on improving school safety.  Senate Bill 1 is the product of months of work last year by a task force formed as a response to the Marshall County High School shooting in early 2018.

            In short, this legislation streamlines school safety at both the state and district level and sets the stage to hire more school resource officers and guidance counselors within our schools  Legislative leaders have said they will increase funding for this work when the next two-year budget is adopted in 2020.

Another new educational law that drew significant support this year broadens the use of KEES, which high school students earn with good grades to help pay for their postsecondary education.  In this case, they’ll soon be able to use their lottery-funded scholarships for qualified workforce training.

Two other high-profile educational bills set to become law drew strong opposition from teachers and many like me who support our educators.  One will give the Jefferson County superintendent much more authority over who will be principal in that district, while the other changes the tribunal process used to handle appeals of a teacher who has been fired.  There is worry this new system will be unfair to teachers who feel they have been wrongly dismissed.

Quite a few bills to pass the legislature this year deal with criminal-justice matters, with two building on already-established laws.  The first of those expands the Class D felonies that can be expunged – which will help many more citizens who have long paid their debt to society – and it lowers the fee for this process from $500 to $250 and allows it to be paid in installments.

The second expands the use of DUI interlock devices, a type of breathalyzer that keeps a vehicle from starting if the driver is intoxicated.  Starting in July 2020, this law will apply to every first-time DUI offender, and he or she will have to use it for four months.

While these two laws modify existing statutes, another effectively does away with one that has been on the books since 1996.  In this case, Kentuckians 21 and older will no longer need a permit or the training it requires to carry a concealed weapon.  This will not apply to those who are otherwise not allowed to have a firearm, and other restrictions about where concealed weapons can be taken remain unchanged.  This law takes effect later this summer.

In other criminal-justice actions, the General Assembly cracked down on telemarketers who try to trick unsuspecting callers by using local numbers, and we also toughened the penalties for those guilty of strangulation.  Those who threaten places like churches and other public venues will face more serious punishment, as well.

There are some new laws that I opposed.  One, for example, will almost certainly undermine our growing solar industry by making it tougher for new residential customers to get full credit for the excess electricity they return to the grid.  A viable compromise originally passed the House, but that was unfortunately removed in the session’s final hours.

Another new law takes away much of the Secretary of State’s election responsibilities by removing that office’s vote on the state Board of Elections, meaning this board is now governed entirely by gubernatorial appointees.  The Secretary of State is our chief elections officer, so this change removes some key constitutional checks and balances. 

Several new laws will help veterans and those still serving our country.  It will soon be easier for those in the service to maintain in-state college tuition costs and stop select utilities without penalty if they are based out-of-state.  They and their spouses will also have an easier time getting interviewed when applying for state-government jobs.

Overall, this was a consequential legislative session, and I want thank everyone who let me know their thoughts and concerns.  It made a difference.  Looking ahead, I encourage you to keep reaching out if there is an issue you think needs to be addressed. 

If you would like to know more about legislation or the legislative process, please visit the General Assembly’s website at www.legislature.ky.gov. 

            Thanks for all you do, and holler anytime.

Bourbon War's Midway connections hope Saturday's Florida Derby will earn him a spot in the Kentucky Derby

Bourbon War during his final pre-Florida Derby breeze at
Gulfstream Park March 22 (Photo by Dana Wimpfheimer)

By Abbey Huffman
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway-connected Bourbon War is looking to earn a spot in the Kentucky Derby with a strong finish in Saturday evening’s Florida Derby.

Bourbon War earned 20 official “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points last time out, when he rallied late to finish second to Code of Honor in the Fountain of Youth Stakes.

Owned by Bourbon Lane Stable of Midway and Lake Star Stable, Bourbon War is No. 11 in Kentucky Derby points, which determine the 20 horses that can enter the May 4 classic at Churchill Downs. The Florida Derby points are 100 for first, 40 for second, 20 for third and 10 for fourth.

The Florida Derby is 1⅛ mile, the same distance as Bourbon War’s previous two races.  The son of Tapit has proven that he can handle the distance and likes the Gulfstream Park surface, with a win and a close second. 

Bourbon War recorded his final breeze in preparation for the Florida Derby on March 22.  He worked a half mile in 49.88 seconds and was ranked 19th out of the 30 who worked the distance that day. 

Trainer Mark Hennig said he was very pleased with the work and likes how the horse has been training since the Fountain of Youth.

The Florida Derby would be the last race before the 1¼-mile Kentucky Derby for Bourbon War. He will break from post position 4 of 11 under his regular rider, Irad Ortiz Jr. He is third choice, with morning-line odds of 7-2.

The Florida Derby field includes Fountain of Youth winner Code of Honor, FOY fourth-place finisher Hidden Scroll (the favorite at 3-1), Holy Bull Stakes winner Harvey Wallbanger, and undefeated Maximum Security.

The Florida Derby is race 14 at Gulfstream Park and post time is approximately 6:36 p.m. The NBC Sports Network will cover the race from 6 to 7 p.m.

I-64 lane to be closed near rest areas Friday Monday

Closure of a westbound lane on Interstate 64 west of Midway, originally set for yesterday and today, Friday, has been rescheduled for Mondaytomorrow from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., the state Transportation Cabinet has announced in an updated news release.

The cabinet said the closure is needed for a sewer-line replacement for the Woodford County rest areas, located between milepoints 60.2 and 60.7, as part of a renovation project for both facilities, which is scheduled for completion in about five weeks. The rest areas are closed to regular motorists until then, but semi-tractor-trailer drivers may continue to use them; temporary accommodations are in place for semi drivers.

The right, or slow, lane will be closed between milepoints 60 and 58. "All work is subject to change depending on weather, emergencies and other factors beyond the control of the Department of Highways," the cabinet said in a press release.

EDA lines up 3 property sales, hires help to clean up Midway Station, seeks more highway-business zoning

A mapping projection showed the new, 4-acre lot to be created.

Midway Station, once a failure as an industrial park, appears to be turning into a success after all.

Directors of the Woodford County Economic Development Authority, which owns the tract north of Interstate 64, approved three tentative sales of property at their meeting Friday and took steps to make the property more attractive to prospects.

"We've only had ownership of this property for six weeks, and we've got three options," departing director William Downey remarked. The EDA has always owned the property, but until Feb. 7 the unsold parcels were optioned to Lexington developer Dennis Anderson in return for his payment of interest on the property's mortgages, giving him effective control of it.

Anderson had hoped to make a commercial and residential development of Midway Station, but the renewed interest of industries in the property and nearby tracts turned it back into an industrial park, and he terminated his option.

"Since he's left, the phone has been ringing off the hook with folks who want to come to Midway Station," Mayor Grayson Vandegrift told a homeowners' meeting in Northridge Estates tonight.

At Friday's EDA meeting, directors authorized Chair John Soper to grant options to:

• Dan Price, $208,000 for 3.33 acres for use as a marine sales and service facility facing the interstate, with 10 initial jobs and 15 by the second year, pending rezoning. Soper said Planning and Zoning Administrator Pattie Wilson "was as instrumental" in the sale as anyone. "She presents the way we can do business in Woodford County that is really user-friendly."
• Barnhill Chimney Co. of Lexington, which plans to pay $162,300 for 2.49 acres for a facility to manufacture chimney caps. Soper said only four other companies in the nation make the caps, and Barnhill plans to have seven to 10 employees at opening, 10 to 15 in a year and could have 30 in five years. Soper said EDA had another prospect for the lot but "We gotta go with someone who's willing to do a contract, especially with the possibility of jobs."
• Imperial Asphalt of Frankfort, $130,000 for 4 acres in a lot to be created at the sharp turn at the east end of McKinney Avenue, in an area not originally platted for development. Soper said the company has excavation equipment that it can use to reshape the area. Because the property does not have a price that has to be met in order to get a mortgage release for banks to which EDA is indebted, "This four acres would go into operating cash," Soper said, "which really gives us some breathing room." He said Imperial Asphalt owner Seth Christian will use the property for equipment storage, will have seven employees there, and will not manufacture asphalt at the location. "He said he'd been watching this development since he was in high school and wants to be part of it," Soper said.

None of the deals required any price negotiation, Soper said, but one buyer hesitated, saying the property looked "blighted" because of high grass, weeds, trash and broken concrete.

Soper said that once Vandegrift explained the history of Midway Station, the buyer agreed to take an option. (EDA is using the option route to make the sales dependent on zoning and other land-use approvals, and tests to show that the tracts are feasible for the planned developments.)

Soper said the "deferred maintenance" at the property needs action so it will "look like it's seriously somebody trying to sell property and standing behind what they sell." He said HMB Engineers, which designed the development, had lined up Buchanan Contracting of Mount Sterling to do the work.

"Ordinarily, I would like to bid this stuff, but quite honestly, I don't think we have the time," Soper said. "Time is of the essence." He said the City of Midway had agreed to to the initial mowing, and would be reimbursed. "I really appreciate what Midway's doing for us," he said. Buchanan's original quote included $3,500 for initial mowing and trimming and $2,500 for monthly mowing; those were deducted from the deal, leaving a price of $11,970.

Director Paul Schreffler asked if crews from the Woodford County Jail could do some of the work, and Soper said he would look into that. Then the directors approved a motion for Buchanan Contracting to do the work within 45 days.

The directors also approved a motion to seek zone changes that would eliminate any property zones for professional offices, which had been seen as a buffer between industries and commercial businesses, zoned B-5 for highway business. "The inquiries we're getting are going to be B-5 or light industry," Soper said.

The changes would add more B-5 lots, which could help attract a hotel. Anderson has a lot on the other side of the interstate, in the Green Gables development, that has long been platted for a hotel, but Vandegrift said a year ago that Anderson had priced it too high to sell. Anderson disputed that.

After meeting for almost an hour and a half in the Fiscal Court room of the county courthouse, the directors went into a closed session to discuss property sales. They allowed Maria Bohanan, whom the City of Versailles had appointed to fill Downey's position when he departs, to attend.

'On the Table' conversations Wed., including dinner at Christian Church, still have room for reservations

The Woodford County Community Fund invites residents of the county to participate in "On the Table 2019," a conversation about the future of our community, on Wednesday, March 27, at three locations, including Midway Christian Church. The theme of this year's conversations is how to foster belonging in the community.

Each meeting Wednesday includes a free meal. Breakfast catered by Sweet Lilu’s will be served during an 8-10 a.m. session at Life Adventure Center, 570 Milner Road, Versailles. The lunch meeting will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Versailles Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall and will be catered by Spark Community Café.

The dinner meeting, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Christian Church Fellowship Hall, will be catered by Holly Hill Events. The meetings are open to anyone who lives, works or studies in Woodford County. Reserve via email to woodfordcf@bgcf.org, noting which conversation you plan to attend, as soon as possible. The original deadline for reservations was Wednesday, a week before the events.

"Please consider coming to one of these events, even if you haven't made a reservation," Helen Rentch of Midway said in an email to friends today. "There is space, and a rewarding experience."

The meetings are supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and presented by the Blue Grass Community Foundation. "On the Table is a great opportunity to connect and ask ourselves how we can impact the future of Woodford County through individual and collective civic action," says the Community Fund, which is the the local arm of the Bluegrass foundation. More information is at bgcf.org/onthetable.

Mayor calls special City Council meeting Monday to discuss 'major street project and appropriations request'

The Midway City Council will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 25 at City Hall. The notice for the meeting says it was called by Mayor Grayson Vandegrift to discuss a "major street project and appropriations request." It says the council will take no action.

All meetings of the City Council and its committees are open to the public.