Coronavirus

A few weeks ago, I felt like a lone wolf howling in the wind (not the first time). I was calling for Keeneland to call off its April meet and for Churchill Downs to go ahead and announce the cancellation of the Kentucky Derby. Based on what I knew of the coronavirus spread in other countries and that it had reached our shores, it seemed obvious to me that within days we would begin cancelling events at a rapid pace. The first sports leader to acknowledge such was NBA Commissioner...

Sam Houston Race Park was forced to cancel its stakes-laden Texas Champions Day card after the second race Saturday night when a transformer blew, and will not hold its final four days of racing, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Its 2020 Quarter Horse meet set to start Apr. 10 has also been cancelled. "We share in the disappointment this creates throughout the Texas racing industry and for our valued customers and employees," said Sam Houston Vice President and General Manager Dwight Berube. "Sam Houston Race Park looks forward to a time...

Saturday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy issued an executive order closing all non-essential shops and businesses. And while we think we're essential, Thoroughbred publications didn't make a list that includes grocery stores, pharmacies, pet stores, gas stations and liquor stores. (This is New Jersey, after all.) We have been publishing the paper almost completely remotely now for almost two weeks, with only one or two people in the office, but now we will be 100 percent remote. To reach us, please do the following: Advertising--Email advertising@thetdn.com or tdnadstaff@gmail.com (they both...

Ramon Dominguez has not ridden since suffering a head injury in a 2013 spill, but he never did step away from the sport. The Hall of Fame jockey now devotes much of his time to his role as the president of the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America, a job he took on last month. The work of the racetrack chaplains is always important but never more so than now, as the coronavirus has upended life on the racetrack for many, particularly backstretch workers. The job has thrust Dominguez...

The work of the racetrack chaplains is always important but never more so than now, as the coronavirus has upended life on the racetrack for many, particularly backstretch workers.

The Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA), which operates a childcare and early-childhood education facility at Belmont Park for backstretch families, needs supplies for infants and toddlers. The BCCA provides vital support to those who work in Thoroughbred racing, but Mar. 17 they closed their facility, called Anna House, consistent with Nassau County's decision to close public schools to help limit the spread of coronavirus. "Anna House has been an integral part of the community, 365 days a year, since 2003 when we opened. This is the first time we've ever...

Sunday training at Belmont Park will cease starting Mar. 29, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) has confirmed. The cutback to a six-day weekly training schedule comes in the wake of Thursday's news that a Belmont backstretch worker tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The worker and his roommate, who live in a Belmont backstretch dormitory, have been in isolation since Mar. 13. That coronavirus diagnosis led to the indefinite suspension of live racing at Aqueduct Racetrack as of Mar. 20. NYRA had phased out stabling at Aqueduct at the...

The Louisiana State Racing Commission (LSRC) voted Thursday to impose an emergency order on the state's racetracks and training facilities that guarantees horses and horsemen can "shelter in place" for the next 30 days without threat of eviction. The coronavirus-related order, which comes on the eve of the GII Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, will not affect Saturday's spectator-free running of the most prominent racing card in the state. The order also does not mandate that horses and horsemen have to shelter in place--it just guarantees that those who want...

Santa Anita and Golden Gate Fields will conduct live racing as scheduled Friday and the rest of the weekend. A state-wide "stay at home" order California governor Gavin Newsom issued Thursday evening in an attempt to curb the spread of the coronavirus—telling residents to remain indoors with the exception of essential trips and services—had cast some doubts about the viability of live racing going ahead this weekend. But Aidan Butler, acting executive director of California racing for the Stronach Group (TSG), explained in a text Friday—with first post times looming—that...

In every crisis, it's possible to find examples of kindness and generosity, of people reaching out to help total strangers out of the goodness of their heart. To focus attention on the many people in the industry who have stepped forward to help those who have been impacted by the coronavirus, the TDN has launched a series that we hope will put a smile on your face during these difficult times. We'll do our best to bring you a little bit of good news every day. Like so many who...

The New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America has launched a fundraiser in support of backstretch workers to help during the challenging circumstances relative to the coronavirus (COVID-19). The chaplaincy is looking to bolster its food pantry and welcomes any financial contribution. For those who wish to donate food, non-perishable items that are microwaveable are welcome. Drop-offs in Nassau County will also welcome perishable items in individual sizes, including fresh fruits.   Donations can be made online at flipcause.com/secure/cause_pdetails/Nzc5ODQ=. For more information on how to ship a donation or for...

The TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented each week by Keeneland, was a strange affair this week, conducted in an otherwise empty TDN office, with Bill Finley and Jon Green sitting six feet apart, and host Joe Bianca calling in from home. "We need to march on, just like the world does," said Jon Green. "We're just a small part of what's going on out there, but I've been implementing social distancing for just about all of my 50 years." That led Bianca to crack, "All of those nights without a...