COVID-19

The 2020 Irish Thoroughbred Breeders' Association National Breeding & Racing Awards will be announced via a virtual ceremony at 7:30 p.m. local time on Jan. 30. The virtual ceremony will be released on all ITBA social media channels, as well as the ITBA website. This is the first time the ceremony will be conducted virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ITBA chairman John McEnery said, "Despite all the many challenges facing the industry in 2020, Irish breeders and Irish bred horses continued to excel on both the national and...

The 162nd running of the $1-million Queen's Plate, the first jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, will be held Sunday, Aug. 22 at Woodbine, Woodbine Entertainment announced Tuesday. Contested annually to showcase Canada's finest 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, The Queen's Plate is one of the country's premier sporting events and North America's oldest continuously run stakes horse race. Held at the end of June in past years, The Queen's Plate was moved to late summer in 2020 and run Sept. 12 without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One-eyed champion Mighty Heart...

All races in France since May 11, 2020 which carried a reduced purse due to the COVID-19 pandemic will receive part of their original prizemoney back in the second half of January, France Galop announced on Monday. At the end of 2020, France Galop's funding budget was €185 million instead of €248 million, a 25% decrease due to the two-month period racing ceased in France during the first French lockdown. In August, the France Galop Board of Directors determined that a positive funding result-if there was one--at the end of...

Racing at Golden Gate Fields is scheduled to resume Friday, Jan. 15. "After extensive testing in collaboration with the Berkeley Public Health Division, it has been determined that the COVID-19 concerns on the campus have decreased to levels to allow the resumption of live racing," a statement from 1/ST RACING read. "Golden Gate Fields is indebted to both the Berkeley Public Health Division and the Alameda County Public Health Department for their assistance and advice during the period of temporary closure. As the Golden Gate Fields Racing Office remains closed...

There are few positions more prominent or scrutinized in racing than president of The Jockey Club, and that goes double for years as tumultuous for the sport as 2019 and 2020 were. With a plethora of game-changing topics to discuss, The Jockey Club's president and chief operating officer Jim Gagliano joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland Wednesday in the show's first episode of 2021. Appearing as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Gagliano discussed how the industry can potentially pay for the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act,...

Irish racing will continue behind closed doors despite coronavirus restrictions being maintained, the Irish Government announced on Wednesday. Only professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events are permitted to continue in this fashion, with no other matches or events allowed at this time. Racing in Ireland resumed on June 8, but owners have only been allowed briefly in September. The ban on UK travel continues until midnight on Friday, Jan. 8, and beginning on Jan. 9, all passengers coming from the UK will be required to...

The finalists for the 2021 UK Godolphin Stud and Stable Staff awards were revealed on Wednesday. The 18 finalists spread across six award categories will now participate in a remote judging day on Feb. 22. There will be an interactive virtual awards ceremony showcasing the winners hosted by ITV Racing's Ed Chamberlin broadcast live and free to air on Racing TV. The finalists and their employers are listed below: David Nicholson Newcomer Jaydon Lee - Nicky Henderson Alice Price - Ben Pauling Chrissie Sykes - Ruth Carr Leadership Alex Cairns...

The February National Hunt Sale, to be held at Fairyhouse in Ireland, has been moved to Feb. 23-24, Tattersalls Ireland announced on Wednesday. The decision was made due to continued uncertainty due to COVID-19 and the current lockdown in Ireland, which expires on Jan. 30. "As has been the case since the outbreak of this virus, we're having to respond as best as we can to rapidly changing scenarios, at all times balancing social responsibility and prevailing government restrictions with the best interest of all Tattersalls Ireland clients," said Tattersalls...

Despite a racing calendar ravaged by the coronavirus, all-sources handle on U.S. racing in 2020 declined by just .98%. According to Equibase, total handle on the year was $10,925,226,444 or $108,597,919 less than what it was in 2019. Had the Triple Crown races not been rescheduled, it's possible that handle might have risen on the year. The total handle for the three race days combined dropped by $208 million, or more than what handle was off for the entire year. "The horse racing community is extremely resilient as borne out...

Following the latest COVID-19 lockdowns in Ireland and the UK, several changes to the winter sales at Kildare Paddocks and Doncaster were confirmed by Goffs on Tuesday. The Goffs February Sale was divided into a virtual sale for breeding stock, older horses, and juveniles on Feb. 9-10 and a physical sale for weanlings on Mar. 2 at Kildare Paddocks. The Goffs UK Doncaster January Sale had also been separated into two sections as well, with National Hunt mares and horses-in-training to go under the hammer online on Jan. 26. The...

Racing in the UK will continue behind closed doors, as new national lockdowns begin at midnight on Jan. 5. Cases of coronavirus are rising in both countries and their respective governments have imposed new COVID restrictions. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson cited the rising death toll in the past seven days and the new coronavirus variant that is widespread in the UK as the primary reasons for a third lockdown, which is expected to last until mid-February. The BHA confirmed that racing will continue without fans and with only essential...

A popular jockeys' room valet and former jockey, Luis Leon passed away peacefully Tuesday evening at age 90, according to his son David. He suffered a heart attack recently and succumbed to the effects of the COVID-19 virus while hospitalized. Leon is survived by his wife Juanita, a daughter Sylvia and four sons, Louis, Jr., David, Mike and Victor. Services are pending. Born Sept. 7, 1930 in Fresno, California, Leon became a contract rider with Rex Ellsworth in the 1950s and 60s. While working under Hall of Fame trainer Mesh...