COVID-19

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to bypass this weekend's stakes action at Los Alamitos, according to the DRF's Steve Andersen Friday. "I don't have any symptoms," he told DRF. "I'll have to wait a few days and test again. Hopefully, I'll be back up for the following week. I'll watch a little Netflix." Smith, whose positive was determined following a test at Santa Anita Friday, was scheduled to accompany Astute (Speightstown) in Saturday's GI Starlet S. and Proud Emma (Include) in Sunday's...

The Organizacion Sudamericana de Fomento board--in conjunction with LONGINES--announced the 2021 renewal of the Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano and Longines Cup, will be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally scheduled for this spring, the event will now be staged Sunday, Oct. 24th 2021, at Hipódromo Nacional de Maroñas, Uruguay.

All-sources handle was down more than $50 million at $462,041,545.76 compared to $516,189,419.44 in 2019 for Woodbine's shortened 2020 Thoroughbred meet, which started late and concluded early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meet ran 96 days with the start being pushed back from Apr. 18 to June 6 and the end date moved up from Dec. 13 to Nov. 22. The abbreviated meet resulted in 35 less race days and 305 less races. "Like many businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted our business and the entire horse racing industry...

Del Mar's short fall meet ended this past weekend with a flourish and a blitz of top-class racing that lured quality runners from across the country, as epitomized by Chad Brown's Grade I double courtesy of Domestic Spending (GB) (Kingman {GB}) in the Hollywood Derby and Viadera (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}) in the Matriarch S. The meet rounded out what has been a challenging year for the track, to say the least, thanks to the extraordinary headwinds from a global pandemic, and the already tough economic environment for California horsemen....

CHRB licensed owners with horses entered to race will be permitted to attend the races at the Los Alamitos winter meet, which begins Friday, Dec. 4. Owners will also be permitted to bring up to two adult guests. Owners wishing to attend the races should email or call Elsa Peron, Administrative Assistant of TOC (eperon@toconline.com) to secure access, and reservations can be made up until 24 hours before race day. On race days, owners must show their license when entering Los Alamitos Racecourse and park in the designated area. Owners...

Four tracks will be welcoming in limited spectators in England on Wednesday. Haydock, Kempton, Lingfield and Ludlow-all located in Tier 2 areas--are all set to open their doors to spectators for the first time since March. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the halt of all racing from mid-March and it did not resume-behind closed doors only--until June 1. There have been a pair of small pilot days, with Doncaster and Warwick both hosting some crowds in September, but it was not until the UK government released their new tiered system that...

Applications are now open for the 2021 competition year of the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America. Applications will be accepted through Jan. 15, 2021 and accepted trainers will be announced Feb. 15, 2021. As the 2020 Thoroughbred Makeover was postponed to 2021 due to the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 edition of the Retired Racehorse Project's banner event will include competition groups both for horses that would have competed in 2020, as well as those entering for 2021. The two groups...

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame has announced the return of its juried photography exhibition program, Photo Finish. The Museum is now accepting submissions for consideration from both amateur and professional photographers of scenes depicting Thoroughbred racing in America for its third annual exhibition. Racing scenes, portraits (both human and equine), whimsical, morning workouts, retired racehorses, etc., are all welcome; it is up to the photographer to interpret the theme and be as creative as possible. The Museum also welcomes photographs documenting what racing was like during...

Jockeys competing in any group or graded race no longer need to self-isolate upon their return to Ireland, the Racing Post reported on Monday. Previously, only jockeys competing at the Grade or Group 1 level were exempt from quarantine. However, jockeys are still required to undergo a trio of COVID-19 tests-prior to traveling and twice once they travel back to Ireland. "It's positive news," said Irish Jockeys Association Secretary Andrew Coonan to Racing Post. "Flat riders travelling abroad will be helped by this but principally at the moment it will...

NEWMARKET, UK—Whether in situ or online, breeders from all over the world ensured that the Tattersalls December Mares' Sale got off to a promising start, with a 90% clearance rate helped by plenty of action from internet bidders. The dispersal of Lady Rothschild's Waddesdon Stud had led to a buoyant session on this day last year, so markers were down 12 months on, but there was still a healthy level of activity, with 12,292,200gns traded for 243 fillies and mares. The median dipped by 14% at 30,000gns and the average...

'Racing is Everyone's Sport' campaign was announced by Great British Racing on Monday. The goal of the initiative is to encourage and welcome LGBT+ participation in racing and bring the racing community together to champion lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. Former jockey Victoria Smith and trainer Mick Appleby are involved with the initiative and have shared their personal experiences. "This year has been challenging for all [during the coronavirus pandemic]--however research demonstrates that minority groups have been disproportionately affected during the crisis," said Diversity in Racing Steering Group David...

A limited number of spectators will be allowed on certain English racecourses as of Dec. 2, the British Horseracing Authority announced. Spectators are permitted in some areas of England, according to the latest guidelines revealed by the UK government. Owners are able to attend fixtures across all three tiers, while regular spectators are allowed only in Tiers 1 and 2. Spectators and owners are both permitted in the Amber Zone (formerly the Owner Zone) at racecourses, but there will be specific areas reserved for owners only. Pre-registration is essential for...