Mike Smith Positive for COVID-19; Will Miss Weekend Mounts

Friday, December 4, 2020 | 4:56 pm

DEL MAR, CA - OCTOBER 30: Mike Smith at the Breeders Cup Post Position Draw at Power House Park on October 30, 2017 in Del Mar, California. (Photo by Alex Evers/Eclipse Sportswire/Breeders Cup)

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to bypass this weekend's stakes action at Los Alamitos, according to the DRF's Steve Andersen Friday.
“I don't have any symptoms,” he told DRF. “I'll have to wait a few days and test again. Hopefully, I'll be back up for the following week. I'll watch a little Netflix.”
Smith, whose positive was determined following a test at Santa Anita Friday, was scheduled to accompany Astute (Speightstown) in Saturday's GI Starlet S. and Proud Emma (Include) in Sunday's GIII Bayakoa S. He did not have any other mounts on the opening weekend of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos from Friday through Sunday.
In light of Smith's forced defection, Flavien Prat will ride Astute, while Juan Hernandez has the mount on Proud Emma.