Coronavirus

TIMONIUM, MD - The Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale, delayed two months due to the coronavirus pandemic, opened Monday with trepidation in the air, but the clouds of fear and doubt dissipated and, for two days at least, there was a feeling of a return to normalcy in the industry. The auction featured solid demand for horses at all levels and concluded with a remarkable 19.2% buy-back rate. "We had a terrific day Monday and I said I hoped and prayed that we could keep the momentum going and...

   Much of the early part of the 2020 racing season has been uprooted, courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many businesses into states of unexpected struggle and uncertainty. As a result, the flagging economy, coupled with the shutdown of racing at many tracks around the nation, left an indelible mark on many small equine-related businesses, many of whom have been shuttered or saw their trade fall off dramatically over the past months. With racing slowly resuming, albeit spectator-less, many businesses attempt to regain some traction as the industry ebbs...

Owners will be able to start attending race meetings in a safe and risk-managed way in the UK on July 4, under plans agreed by the Racecourse Assocation (RCA), Racehorse Owners Association (ROA) and the British Horseracing Authority (BHA), the BHA announced on Monday. There will be two test fixtures-July 1 at Southwell and Kempton Park-to pilot protocols and allow for a thorough review of the processes in place to facilitate a smooth implementation, with guidelines to help owners adjust to new protocols and procedures available here. Owners will be...

Newbury has created 'Pub in the Paddock', a pop-up for guests to watch the July 4 G1 Investec Derby. As well as the Derby, the Oaks will also be shown along with two live Premier League matches next Saturday. Tables and chairs will be set at socially-distanced levels, and the bars will be accepting only cashless payments. Tickets were free, but all available for a maximum attendance of 300 have already been reserved. Harriet Collins, Newbury's head of public relations, said, "With beer gardens opening, we felt that it was...

Face covering regulations for jockeys have been revised, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Saturday. There has been a hot spell in the UK as summer begins. The new protocols are as follows: Prior to a race, jockeys are required to wear a face covering (which covers nose and mouth) from the time they depart the changing area in the weighing room. The wearing of face coverings during the race is recommended. However, jockeys are permitted to pull down the face covering in the moments immediately prior to the start...

With its two annual fundraising events in Saratoga Springs, NY cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Race Track Chaplaincy will instead host "Champions Talk", an event featuring five prominent personalities from the world of sports and horse racing, which will premiere Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 7 p.m. ET. The five individuals are Hall of Fame jockeys Angel Cordero Jr. and Ramon Dominguez, GI Kentucky Derby-winning owner Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, Churchill Downs's all-time leading trainer Dale Romans and Pro Football Hall of Fame and two-time...

After submitting its proposal to allow fans to attend this year's GI Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs officials are expecting to hear back from Governor Andy Beshear this week. At his press briefing Monday, Beshear said he is reviewing Churchill's proposal and would announce a decision shortly. Alluding to the GI Belmont S., where fans were not allowed in the stands, Beshear said he envisioned that the Kentucky Derby will be "different" than the Belmont. "I believe that Churchill Downs made a very good decision to move the race," the governor...

A day after announcing that it will be open to a limited number of fans when its racing season commences July 3, Monmouth Park announced Tuesday that owners will be permitted to watch their horses work from a designated area from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Fridays through Sundays starting Friday, June 26. Monmouth Park has been closed to all but essential personnel since March 16, when restrictions were put into place to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Under a special permit that allows for re-purposing of restaurants...

Officials at Fasig-Tipton have announced a set of COVID-19 protocols that will be instituted in advance of next week's Midlantic Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training and this week's under-tack previews.   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...

British racing resumed behind closed doors on June 1, and now, with these first weeks back going well and in accordance with the UK government's safety protocols, the British Horseracing Authority is working on a template to allow owners to observe their horses race on location. In a letter sent to racehorse owners on Monday by the BHA, the BHA's Chief Operating Officer Richard Wayman thanked the owners for their support in these challenging times due to the coronavirus situation and outlined plans for their return in the near future....

All of the breezes for the upcoming Tattersalls Craven & Ascot Breeze Up Sale will be shown live at www.tattersalls.com on both the Tattersalls main page and the Tattersalls Ascot main page, the sales company announced on Sunday. Beginning at 9 a.m. local time at Newmarket's Rowley Mile on June 22, the breezes will be split, with the Craven Breeze Up Sale juveniles going first and the Ascot Breeze Up 2-year-olds breezing second. The sale proper will begin at 11 a.m. on June 25. Individual videos of the breezes will...

The history of Belmont Park, believe it or not, goes back over 350 years, to when America itself wasn't even an idea yet. In 1665, New York's colonial governor Richard Nicholl constructed a racetrack called Newmarket in Queens. It stood for over a century, and proved so popular that even after the British were expelled in 1783, a thirst for horse racing lived on in the hearts of newly independent New Yorkers. Union Course sprouted up in 1821 and became the country's leading track. After that came Brighton Beach Race...