COVID-19

Pennsylvania casinos have been greenlighted to reopen as of Monday, Jan. 4, rekindling revenue streams that fund Thoroughbred purses in the state. Governor Tom Wolf announced Dec. 30 that because COVID-19 mitigation efforts have been working to tamp down the spread of the pandemic, he will allow more stringent safety restrictions that went into effect Dec. 12 to expire as planned. But that doesn't mean a full-blown opening for the 13 casinos in the state: Mitigation efforts will roll back to what they were on Dec. 11, which still caps...

TVG premiers a special feature Saturday, Jan. 2 which will focus on the impact COVID-19 had on the global horse racing industry. The 2020 retrospective will air at approximately 5:30p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT. To watch a one-minute preview, click here. Saturday coverage, hosted by Todd Schrupp, Christina Blacker and Britney Eurton, will feature a nine-race card from Santa Anita, highlighted by the GIII San Gabriel S. and the GIII Sham S. The 2020 renewal of the Sham S. was won by Authentic, who went on to win the GI Kentucky...

The Irish Government's Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has released updated advice for horse movement through Great Britain beginning on New Year's Day, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Thursday. The new guidelines are intended for those transporting horses and the Trader Notice, which outlines procedures for export certification to Britain from Jan. 1, as well as information on movements to and from France and Northern Ireland, may be accessed here. The new guidelines are summarized as follows for each equine exporter from Ireland to Great Britain: Register with DAFM....

British Horseracing Authority Chief Executive Nick Rust will be honoured with an OBE for his service to the sport of horse racing. Rust steps down from his post on Jan. 1. He has served in his position for nearly six years and dealt with a range of issues, including changes to the Levy, presiding over a review of buying/selling bloodstock, the increasingly important improvements to horse welfare, increasing diversity and inclusion in the sport of horse racing in the UK and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Jumps jockey Bob Champion was...

Most, I'm sure, will have seen the television advertisement for an online dating site that's as on-the-nose as a well-placed left hook. In it, Satan falls in love with the year 2020, played by a hellraiser masquerading as the girl-next-door. As flaming asteroids pelt the earth, Satan and 2020 watch on while lamenting the imminent turn of the calendar. "I just don't want this year to end," says Satan, wistfully. Wistful nostalgia is hardly something many will be feeling when they eventually look back over this annus horribilis--yet somehow, it...

Following the increasing rate of spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, racing will continue without crowds in attendance after the UK Government's Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that approximately 75% of the UK will be moved into Tier 3 or Tier 4 restrictions beginning on Thursday. Every area where a racecourse is located in Great Britain falls under these new Tier 3/4 designations. Hancock made the announcement in the House of Commons. Spectators were allowed back to courses in early December in Tier 1 and 2 areas, but...

The Pennsylvania Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association (PHBPA) met with the management of Penn National Dec. 28 to come up with a contingency plan to keep racing going through January using purse money already "on deposit" in the event that Governor Tom Wolf's COVID-19-related closure of Penn's Hollywood Casino extends past the currently mandated Jan. 4. date. "Penn National has agreed to continue live racing through [January], provided the handle generates a break-even scenario for the company," Todd Mostoller, the PHBPA's executive director, wrote in a one-page memo to members...

As there is currently an increased rate of transmission of COVID-19 in the UK, British racing leaders have agreed with the UK Government to impose more stringent racemeeting restrictions beginning on Jan. 1, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Tuesday. Under the new restrictions, no owners will be permitted to attend Tier 4 race meetings and essential staff only are allowed at meetings in Tier 4 areas. In addition, no owners living in Tier 4 will be permitted to attend race meetings in Tiers 1-3. These restrictions also apply to...

While 2020 has been a year of hardships for everyone in our industry, many people have said the sport has come together in ways it never has before. As we enter into the holiday season, we spoke with several people who helped make this year a little better. We asked them to reflect on the things that have been particularly difficult to deal with this year; what they have learned because of these struggles and what they hope our industry will take away from this year as we look to...

Following the news that the Irish Government has banned UK travel, no Irish-trained horses or Irish jockeys will compete in the UK through Dec. 31, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. The travel ban will expire on New Year's Eve. In addition, declarations for UK-trained horses to race in Ireland will not be accepted during that time frame. "The concern from Government is very clear: these are exceptional times and a travel ban with the UK is a once-in-a-generation occurrence," said Horse Racing Ireland Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh. "Irish racing...

KILDARE, Ireland--The final instalment of the rescheduled Goffs November Sale was devoted to breeding stock and again some high end withdrawals robbed the sale of some potential headline makers. Despite this, trade for mares that were deemed commercially desirable was strong with no shortage of suitors for the right types and it was the proven producer Zain Art (Ire) (Excellent Art {GB}) who held sway when selling for €390,000 to Timmy Hyde's Camas Park Stud. One feature from Monday's sale was the healthy 87% clearance rate and this coupled with...

The 2020 Longines World Racing Awards ceremony will be held in a virtual format on Jan. 26 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Organised by Longines and the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), the event will celebrate the Longines World's Best Racehorse, the Longines World's Best Horse Race and the Longines World's Best Jockey of the 2020 season. The ceremony will be released on multiple digital platforms including the social media accounts of Longines and the IFHA. The Longines WBRR are established by international handicappers according to the performance...