Canterbury Stewards Enforcing Penalties for Disregarding COVID-19 Protocols

With $900 in fines issued last Friday alone, the Canterbury Park stewards are backing up a new Minnesota Racing Commission ultimatum warning that licensees will pay the price for not adhering to newly strengthened protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Six grooms were docked $100 each July 17 for not wearing a wristband that signifies they passed a required health screening. Three jockeys had their wallets lightened by the same amount for not properly wearing protective masks during the July 14 program: Julio Felix and Roimes Chirinos for removing theirs during winner's circle ceremonies; Chad Lindsay for not having his pulled up to cover his nose during a race.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reported last week that the Canterbury backstretch community recorded its first publicly announced positive July 11 after two people in the stable area showed coronavirus symptoms. Both were isolated and tested, and the person who tested positive left the track to quarantine. Another person who had been in close contact with the infected person has also been isolated.

Canterbury was additionally in the news last week because that's where nationally ranked jockey Florent Geroux was headed when his required test to gain entry to the track to ride the July 15 Mystic Lake Derby card came up positive.