Coronavirus

The New York Racing Association, Inc. and Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce launched a new charitable campaign designed to raise funds for Saratoga Springs-area non-profit organizations that have been impacted by the coronavirus global health pandemic. Administered by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce and held in partnership with the Adirondack Trust Company Community Fund, NYRA Cares offers the opportunity to win a variety of Saratoga Race Course hospitality experiences, memorabilia and collectible items while supporting local non-profit organizations. All items have been donated by NYRA. Proceeds will benefit the...

The Jockey Club Racecourses will make an executive contribution of £3.7-million to the purses at its racecourses through the final four months of 2020. The purse boost will ensure that most class one to three races will be worth 80% of their pre-pandemic value, and none less than 75%. Purses have still been dealt a significant blow, however; total purses for the 112 fixtures from September to December at Jockey Club Racecourses will be £13.5-million, down from an originally projected £16.38-million. The Jockey Club Racecourses is expected to see its...

From 4 a.m. on Saturday, travelers coming into the UK from France will be required to quarantine for 14 days. Horse people wanting to take in both this weekend's Deauville meeting-featuring the G1 Prix Jacques le Marois on Sunday--and next week's York Ebor meeting, therefore, have some decisions to make, and Frankie Dettori has chosen the French route with mounts booked on John Gosden's unbeaten G1 St James's Palace S. winner Palace Pier (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the Marois and G1 Prix du Jockey Club winner Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe...

Officials at the Korean Racing Association (KRA) have announced that the country's two races open to international competition, the Korea Cup and Korea Sprint, have been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the related compulsory quarantine measures on foreign visitors that have been implemented by the Korean government. Racing at Busan and Seoul, which takes place Friday through Sunday, was shut down beginning Feb. 28, as the government refused to permit the KRA to hold meetings behind closed doors. Other Asian racing jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong and...

Each year, team members at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino participate in numerous activities to raise funds for Shelby County United Fund For You (SCUFFY). With disruptions to business and restrictions in place due to COVID-19, many of the events were not held and have affected the overall fundraising efforts. As a result, Indiana Grand made a $20,000 donation to the organization Tuesday, Aug. 11. "This campaign season has been a roller coaster," said Alecia Gross, executive director of SCUFFY. "The community has been fabulous to step up and support...

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has tested positive for COVID-19. "Wayne recently tested positive for COVID-19 and has since been isolating at home and following CDC and health care provider guidelines," a statement from his team read. "Fortunately, he had not been at work for several days prior to the symptoms, so no one else at the barn is impacted. Wayne is recovering at home and looks forward to getting back to the track. He is available to answer any questions regarding your horses. All the day-to-day operations...

Churchill Downs Racetrack officials have released a detailed 62-page health and safety operations plan that will limit attendance to the 146th running of the GI Kentucky Derby Saturday, Sept. 5 to less than 14% of total capacity from the 2015 attendance record. The Kentucky Derby, first staged in 1875, is the longest continually-held major sporting event in the United States and was originally scheduled for May 5. A record crowd of 170,513 attended the event in 2015. Due to physical distancing protocols and other safety measures in place to mitigate...

Colonial Downs has canceled Tuesday and Wednesday's card due to leading jockey Trevor McCarthy testing positive for COVID-19, according to a report by Daily Racing Form. McCarthy took off his mounts Sunday and Monday because of "flu-like symptoms", according to his agent Scott Silver. According to the report, McCarthy attempted to get tested Monday but was unable to, then received a test Tuesday and was positive. Silver added that McCarthy's symptoms had dissipated and he was feeling well enough on Tuesday that he would have ridden at Colonial card his...

The catalog for the world-renowned Keeneland September Yearling Sale, to be held Sept. 13-25, is now online and features 4,272 offerings. Book 1, which features 448 yearlings, will run Sept. 13 and 14 with each season beginning at noon, followed by a dark day Sept. 15. Selling resumes Sept. 16 with the first of two Book 2 sessions, beginning at 10 a.m. Books 3-6 will each be comprised of two sessions, also beginning at 10 a.m. Keeneland has enhanced its online catalog for buyers and sellers for the 2020 September...

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program and The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) have jointly agreed to cancel their 2020 hunter/jumper/pleasure horse show that was slated for Sept. 3-6 at the Kentucky Horse Park. "We are deeply disappointed to cancel the 2020 horse show, but after ongoing discussions with show management, Kentucky Horse Park event staff and horse show managers of other events held at the park, the decision to cancel the event was made," says Sarah Coleman, director of community and public relations for New Vocations. "Multiple factors contributed...

Due to current travel restrictions in place in New York State to prevent the spread of COVID-19, officials at Fasig-Tipton have announced that the Saratoga Fall Sale, scheduled for Oct. 20, will not go forward as planned. It will instead be combined with the company's Midlantic December Mixed and Horses of Racing Age Sale and will take place in Timonium Dec. 7 and 8. Governor Andrew Cuomo's New York Travel Advisory requires any individuals that travel to New York--from any of the states currently listed--to complete a mandatory 14-day quarantine...

In ordinary times, this week would mark the revving up of the European bloodstock charabanc: standing room only, destination Deauville. As the threat of a second quarantine hangs over visitors or returnees from France to the UK like the Sword of Damocles, it's probably just as well that the traditional start to the yearling season has been delayed. This coming weekend, there will be no short shuffle between racecourse and sales ground for the Prix Jacques Le Marois and other delights ahead of a frenetic evening of activity in the...