COVID-19

Following a nationwide poll, interest in horse racing in Ireland has increased, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Wednesday. A poll of over 1,000 people, conducted by the Red C research company between Feb. 8-Feb. 15, aimed at understanding the adult population's attitudes toward horse racing. The results are as follows: In 2021, 39% of the population have an interest in horse racing versus 23% last year A total of 85% of racing fans are missing attending race meetings 19% of racing fans plan to attend more race meetings than previously...

The 2020-21 racing season at Hollywood Gaming Mahoning Valley Race Course came to a record-setting close last Saturday. The 2020-2021 season concluded with an average handle per race of $121,770, a 4.43% increase in average handle per race over the 2019-2020 racing season. During the 2021 Winter/Spring meet portion of the racing season, average handle per race came in at $131,411 with the wagering highlight coming Mar. 29. In a mandatory payout of the Buckeye Jackpot Pick 6, which had grown to $343,876, the single day handle record was shattered...

With live racing transitioning from New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) 's Aqueduct Racetrack to Belmont Park for the start of the spring/summer meet Apr. 22, Aqueduct will continue to serve as mass COVID-19 vaccination center. The New York State vaccination distribution center opened Jan. 18 and has provided more than 180,000 doses. Operating seven days a week, the Aqueduct site is now providing as many as 4,000 doses per day. "This facility has vaccinated more than 180,000 individuals since January thanks to the teamwork displayed by employees from the...

The catalogue for the Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale is now online. A total of 226 lots will go under the hammer at Park Paddocks for the second consecutive year, as the sale was moved from its traditional Irish venue due to continued COVID-19 restrictions. The breezes will take place at the Rowley Mile at 9 a.m. on June 2, with the sale proper slated for June 3 at 10:30 a.m. John and Thady Gosden and HH Sheikha Hissa Hamdan Al Maktoum celebrated a win in the Lincoln with...

Chris Richner, a popular face on the French sales circuit who combined his bloodstock agency with being a longtime representative of the Agence Francaise and Arqana, has died at the age of 68 from Covid-19. The Swiss-born horseman worked in banking in England and Switzerland before putting his equine knowledge to good use in his role as an agent particularly focused on assisting Eastern European clients.  Among the Classic winners purchased by Richner for Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are Border War (Fr), Czech Chardonney (Fr), Eminens (Fr)...

NEWMARKET, UK--Business as usual? Hardly. But at least things don't feel quite as unnervingly unusual as last year. At the best of times, breeze-up pinhookers have a precarious window of opportunity. After a long winter of preparation, their horses get a few, fleeting seconds between those timing lasers--and if for any reason they misfire then very few prospectors nowadays, whatever they may claim, will give them the benefit of the doubt. And, unlike with foals and yearlings, there is no second chance. All you can do is put the horse...

The Tattersalls Ireland Goresbridge Breeze Up Sale has been moved once again to the Tattersalls headquarters at Park Paddocks in Newmarket, Tattersalls Ireland announced on Monday. Ongoing COVID-19 related travel restrictions in Ireland prompted the location switch and 2021 marks the second year the sale will be held in Newmarket. The practice breeze session and breeze session proper at Newmarket Racecourse will be held on June 1 and 2, respectively, with the sale scheduled for June 3, as the racecourse is also operating as a COVID-19 vaccination centre. Originally, Goresbridge...

The Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association and Maryland Jockey Club announced the addition of racing days over the next several months to make up for multiple cancellations in the winter and early spring because of weather conditions and equine herpesvirus (EHV-1) restrictions. MJC earlier announced that the Spring Stakes Spectacular program originally scheduled for Apr. 17 at Laurel Park has been moved to the following Apr. 24. Racing will be held April 17-19 instead of Apr. 15-18. Extra races listed for Thursday, Apr. 15, will move to Saturday, Apr. 17, while...

Golden Gate Fields will reopen the racetrack to a limited capacity of fans starting Friday, Apr. 16, for the remainder of the winter/spring meet that runs through June 13. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, fans will be required to reserve tickets for the duration of the meet. General admission and walk-ups are not permitted at this time. Fans are encouraged to sign-up online to be the first to receive notification when tickets go on sale. Reopening protocols will include social distancing, mandatory masking when not actively eating or drinking, contactless thermal...

The Henry Cecil Open Weekend, slated for Sept. 18-19 this year, will welcome visitors back to Newmarket for the first time since 2019. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the event, which normally features racing and equine enthusiasts visiting training yards, into a virtual format for the first time. A total of £48,000 was raised for its three chosen beneficiaries-Racing Welfare (80%), the British Racing School (10%) and the Racing Centre (10%). This year, Racing Welfare, the newly formed Newmarket Pony Academy and a soon to be announced community project...

The card for the 84th GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby produced all-sources pari-mutuel handle of $24,282,400 Saturday. This was the largest Santa Anita Derby day handle since 2007. In addition, fans returned to the Arcadia oval on a restricted basis, with 8,246 on-track for the 12-race program. It was the first time in over a year that fans were allowed back at Santa Anita since the COVID-19 pandemic began last winter. Rock Your World (Candy Ride {Arg}) saluted in the day's feature event, the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby for...

What a difference a year makes. Last March, when the coronavirus pandemic first descended upon America, the cancellation of sporting events left and right drove home, like few other signs did, how serious the situation was. In the racing world, there was arguably no greater loss of normalcy at that time than was felt when Keeneland was forced to scrap its iconic spring meet. And while races eventually returned to the central Kentucky oval, fans didn't for the entirety of 2020. Friday, the familiar sights of April in Lexington--the colorful...