Coronavirus

After riding the second race at Keeneland today, where he finished second aboard Fortuna (Medaglia d'Oro), jockey Luis Saez received a positive result back from a COVID-19 test he took on Thursday at Keeneland, and was removed from the remainder of his mounts. The news was confirmed by Keeneland's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Gabbert. Since July 4, Saez has ridden at four different tracks--Keeneland, Belmont, Indiana Grand, and Los Alamitos. "Based on the protocols we set up, we had him and several others isolated based on the...

Indiana Grand Racecourse will require all jockeys accepting mounts at the track to ride exclusively at that facility, effective July 10. Any jockey currently riding at Indiana Grand who enters jockey's quarters at another racetrack will not be allowed to return to Indiana Grand without self-quarantining for 14 days. After that time period, the jockey will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test. Jockeys who wish to move their tack to Indiana Grand must also go through the 14-day quarantine and provide a negative Covid-19 test before they will...

Jockey Martin Garcia has tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to miss his scheduled ride aboard Miss T Too (Into Mischief) for trainer Bill Mott in Wednesday night's GIII Indiana Oaks. Daily Racing Form was first to report the news after speaking to Garcia's agent Jay Fedor. Garcia was replaced by Julien Leparoux. DRF said that Garcia, who had ridden at Ellis Park, Los Alamitos and Prairie Meadows in the last seven days, was tested Tuesday at Keeneland, a requirement to ride at the meeting which began Wednesday afternoon....

In advance of the upcoming July Horses of Racing Age Sale in Lexington, Kentucky, Fasig-Tipton has instituted the following COVID-19 protocols: Screening measures, including temperature checks and health screening questions, will be in place to gain admittance to the sales grounds for all staff, participants, and attendees; Cloth face coverings are required in accordance with U.S. CDC recommendations; Participants will not be allowed to congregate. At least six feet of distance must be maintained between people; Seating capacity in the sales pavilion will be reduced below 33% of capacity; No...

The road to filling the financial potholes in California's self-insured workers' compensation program has been a rocky one indeed. But is a proposed workers safety program--part of a package of possible fixes to the workers' comp problems the California industry faces, and one that experts say would be unique within the industry--something that other jurisdictions might learn from, especially as the issue remains at the top of many trainers' hit-list of occupational headaches? To find out, I spoke with John Unick, one of the racing industry's foremost workers' comp experts....

Prize money for this year's G1 Juddmonte International S. at York has been cut to £275,000 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year's Group 1 was worth £1 million but with racing currently taking place behind closed doors after a delayed start to the season, the track's revenue has taken a serious hit, with the venue underlining "80% of prior year annual revenues for York Racecourse flowed from the presence of a gathering, either on a raceday or as part of our extensive non raceday events programme, none...

Following Sunday's announcement that Lone Star Park was suspending live racing indefinitely due to coronavirus concerns, Indiana Grand Racing and Casino announced it was halting the transfer of all jockeys, exercise riders and grooms from the Texas facility to its racing program. A statement released Monday by the Indiana track read, "Effective immediately Monday, July 6, 2020, Indiana Grand will follow CDC guidelines and will not allow anyone from the above racing category currently working and racing at Lone Star onto the property due to potential exposure risks. All individuals...

Lone Star Park announced it was suspending live racing prior to its second race Sunday. A notice on the Texas track's Twitter feed announced, "Due to an abundance of caution, all racing operations at Lone Star Park have been suspended due to #COVID19. Racing will resume at a date to be determined." Lone Star Park opened for an abbreviated 36-day meet May 22 and began allowing fans into the grandstand for live racing June 14.

Colonial Downs is slated to open for its 18-day stand Monday, July 27, and the turf-centric oval announced Friday that it will cap attendance at 1000 spectators in accordance with third phase of Virginia's COVID-19 re-opening plan. Spectators will be limited to outdoor areas of the track apron and grandstand; will receive temperature checks upon arrival; must maintain six feet  of distance from other attendees; and will be required to wear masks indoors and encouraged to wear them outdoors. "With the advancement into Phase 3 of Virginia's reopening plan, and...

Leicester Racecourse's planned fixture on July 7 will go ahead following consultation with relevant authorities after a COVID-19 spike prompted increased lockdown measures in the area earlier this week. The area lockdown has reinstated restrictions to what they were on June 14, at which point racing was permitted under strict guidelines. Owners will not be permitted at Leicester on July 7. The British Horseracing Authority has liaised with Racetech to ensure stalls handlers will be available for the fixture; Tuesday evening's meeting at Leicester was conducted without starting stalls. A...

As president of the sale company that conducted the final auction before the coronavirus pandemic shut down society as well as the first one after restrictions were lifted, OBS's Tom Ventura has had to learn on the fly. Wednesday, he joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to offer his advice for the rest of the industry on keeping business going amidst COVID-19 and his impressions of the rebounding sale market. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Ventura said of the lessons...

OBS President Tom Ventura joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss the results of the OBS sales that occurred in the midst of the Coronavirus, and what OBS learned as an organization while operating under the unprecedented conditions.