Coronavirus

The catalogue for the Goffs Orby Sale, which includes a Sea The Stars (Ire) half-sister to a trio of Group 1 winners out of Theatrical (Ire) mare Green Room (lot 176), is now online. Numerous blue-blooded pedigrees make up the two-day sale, with 474 yearlings set to go under the hammer on Sept. 29-30. Sunday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. winner Lucky Vega (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) is a €175,000 graduate of the Orby Sale. Ballylinch Stud will offer the 12th foal of the unraced Green Room, whose 2018 Galileo...

Pending further developments in ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, officials at the Maryland Jockey Club have announced that its existing jockey quarantine policy will remain in place through September. Jockeys that are currently riding out of state and come to Maryland racetracks are required to quarantine for 14 days from their return from another state and must produce a negative COVID test obtained within 72 hours of riding a race in Maryland. Racing on the Maryland circuit continues at Laurel Park, which will host the state's first stakes races since the pandemic...

The Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia (JCSA) announced Monday that it will continue to withhold payment from the $20-million Saudi Cup to the connections of Maximum Security (New Year's Day) as it continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the horse and former trainer Jason Servis. While that money is being withheld, a decision has been made to go ahead and pay the owners who had horses finish second through 10th in the Feb. 29 race. Shortly after Saudi Cup, Servis was among 27 people indicted on federal charges involving the...

In just five weeks, the annual Keeneland September Yearling Sale will be underway. Despite unprecedented challenges and ongoing uncertainty, it will mark the start of a marathon of events for Keeneland and its future President and CEO Shannon Arvin. "We've got a long fall," said Arvin, who now serves as Interim Head of Sales and will be officially named President-elect on September 1. "We've got the September Sale, the October race meet, the Breeders' Cup that we're so excited about and then we've got the November Breeding Stock sale to...

Sunday's G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. card at The Curragh has been given the green light to proceed despite lockdown measures being tightened in Kildare after a spike in coronavirus cases. Brian Kavanagh, chief executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said, "We have had confirmation racing can continue behind closed doors, that was part of the government announcement. We have detailed safety procedures in place. The protocols are strong and they have been well-adhered to since racing resumed and it's important everyone keeps following them." For the next two weeks, restrictions in...

Goffs has announced that its forthcoming Land Rover Sale of National Hunt store horses will take place in Ireland as planned despite a failed bid to have certain overseas buyers made exempt from the country's 14-day quarantine requirement for visitors. Tattersalls Ireland's Derby and May Store Sales will also go ahead as planned at Fairyhouse on Aug. 18 and 19 and Aug. 20, respectively. The sale is set to take place next week on Aug. 12 and 13 and only incoming visitors from 'Green List' countries' will not have had...

Officials at the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS) have announced that the organization has contracted with Direct Livestock Marketing Systems (DLMS) to provide online, real-time bidding for all bloodstock its sales in 2020. Within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the health and safety of its clientele the primary concerns, CTHS has restricted the number of attendees at its sales and online bidding will enable more people to participate remotely. On-site inspections will still be held with strict protocols in place, but consignments will also have the ability...

A total of 20 lockdown heroes, nominated by their peers for good deeds done in the midst the coronavirus pandemic, are required for the Irish EBF Ballyhane S. on Aug. 23 at Naas, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Thursday. Each hero will be assigned a horse in the €320,000 race, with the winner earning the use of a luxury car from Colm Quinn BMW for a week, a four-night luxury break for two adults and two children at the Heritage, Killenard in County Laois and €2,000 in spending money. To...

Total prize money for the 10th QIPCO British Champions Day on Oct. 17 was cut to £2.5 million, QIPCO announced on Thursday. The purse reduction is a result of the coronavirus pandemic, but the raceday remains the richest in Great Britain. The G1 QIPCO Champion S. will be run for £750,000, while the G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. sponsored by QIPCO will be £650,000. Both the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares and the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint S. will be conducted at £350,000 and the G2 QIPCO...

In the latest resumption of racing update, racing behind closed doors is set to continue for the foreseeable future, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Thursday. The BHA thanked participants for their continued support and cooperation in following the behind closed doors protocols, but stressed that with both government and public health concerns about a rise in cases and a potential 'second wave' of COVID-19 cases, that it is vital everyone in racing continues to follow the proper protocols so that progress can be resumed towards re-introduction of spectators at...

Due to circumstances that arose with the coronavirus pandemic, Parx Racing has canceled all of its open stakes for the remainder of the year, including the GI Pennsylvania Derby and the GI Cotillion S. The two $1-million events were part of a program that had been scheduled for Sept. 26 and also included the Turf Amazon S., the Parx Dirt Mile and the GII Gallant Bob S. "We will not be running any open stakes races this year," racing secretary David Osojnak said. "We will be going on hiatus. The...

Ongoing tensions between the management of Turf Paradise and Arizona-based horsemen is placing the upcoming 2020-2021 meet under a cloud of uncertainty. Last week, Turf Paradise released a press release detailing plans to push back its opening day from Oct. 17 to Friday, Nov. 27. The revised dates meant an overall reduction in live race days from 133 to 110. "We are working with AZHBPA [Arizona Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association] president Bob Hutton as to a date when the horses can begin to arrive in the stable area," said...