COVID-19
With the yearling sales now in full swing TDN quizzes industry figures on past purchases, life during lockdown and gets their perspective on the sales for the next few weeks. Nicolas de Watrigant answers our questions today. TDN: What was your best yearling purchase over the last few years? And your favourite? NDW: From the 2014 Arqana August sale, Qemah (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) was definitely one of the very best horses I have purchased. Winning both the Prix Rothschild G1 at Deauville and the G1 Coronation S. during Royal...
The New York Racing Association announced Sunday its COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys during the 27-day Belmont Park fall meet, which will open Friday, Sept. 18 and run through Sunday, Nov. 1. In order to mitigate risk and reduce the spread of COVID-19, Belmont Park will be closed to out-of-town jockeys until further notice. Members of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travel to ride at any other racetrack during the Belmont Park fall meet will be required to provide two negative COVID-19 tests taken within a five-day...
LOUISVILLE, KY--After a four-month delay, the world spotlight finally shines again on Churchill Downs. While Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby has certainly lost some of its luster due to a number of high-profile defections along this seemingly never-ending Triple Crown trail, tensions remain extremely high in Louisville--which at times of late has felt like the epicenter of concurrent national crises. COVID-19 cases in Kentucky have continued on an upward slope while the overall U.S. graph trends downward, and the commonwealth's largest city has remained in the headlines as the community has...
A limited number of licensed owners will be permitted to attend live racing at Belmont Park on the day that their horse is entered to race, NYRA announced Friday. To reduce density and adhere to social distancing guidelines, the size of the ownership group will be restricted to 10 individuals per horse. All owners within the group must be in possession of a valid New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) license. Horses with identical ownership will be limited to 10 total admissions regardless of number of horses running that day....
The Tattersalls Ireland September Yearling Sale, which was moved to Newmarket this year due to COVID-19, has been shorted to two days, Tattersalls Ireland announced on Thursday. The sale will take place Sept. 21 and 22, with Part II directly following the conclusion after the September Yearling Sale. This scheduling change is in response to the relocation of the sale to Park Paddocks in Newmarket. The remaining 2020 Tattersalls Ireland sales will take place in Ireland, and any vendors not wishing to sell in Newmarket will have the opportunity to...
The 2020-2022 Godolphin Flying Start trainees began their two-year course at Kildangan Stud in Ireland on Aug. 17, Godolphin Flying Start announced on Thursday. Due to COVID-19, the first two weeks of the course were remote while trainees quarantined for two weeks. Since beginning their course, the trainees have completed ICT and communications training and started their Equine Anatomy and Physiology module at University College Dublin online. Also during the Irish portion of their course, they will take a short course at the Racing Academy and Centre of Education before...
There are now over 100 lots on offer at The Great Racing Welfare Auction which will be held virtually this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Racing Welfare announced on Thursday. One of the new items up for bid is the Ultimate Aintree Grand National package-the chance for two people to attend the invite-only Grand National Weights Lunch in February, a course walk with Carrie Ford and a day at the races on Grand National Day with a place for two at the Chairman's Lunch and more. Other notable lots...
The easing of restrictions on indoor dining throughout New Jersey beginning Friday, Sept. 4, Monmouth Park will expand its indoor dining on a limited capacity, pending N.J. Racing Commission approval. The expanded dining venues will include: The William Hill Sports Bar, the first floor grandstand in front of the video board, the Patio Terrace Teletheater and available reserved group rooms. Dining areas will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Capacity for indoor dining will be restricted to 25% of the indoor dining area, as per Gov. Phil Murphy's Executive...
The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club announced that Oct. 3 GI Preakness S. at Pimlico will proceed without fans in attendance. The 145th Preakness will air live on NBC from 4:30-6:00 p.m. ET. The Preakness, like the other two Triple Crown races, are a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' events for the GI Breeders' Cup Classic in November. "The Stronach Group and the Maryland Jockey Club have been working closely in consultation with local and state health and governmental authorities for the past several months to thoughtfully...
Roger Sofer won't be at Churchill Downs Saturday to cheer on Tiz the Law (Constitution) in the GI Kentucky Derby, but he will be at home, watching, hoping and rooting for a horse he co-owns along with 31 other partners in the Sackatoga Stable syndicate. He's not complaining Back in mid-March, right before the GI Florida Derby, Sofer got the chilling diagnosis that he had leukemia. He vowed to beat the disease but knew the odds were against him and he didn't know what the next few months would entail....
The 2020 edition of The Real Rider Cup--an annual competition designed to showcase off-the-track Thoroughbreds and raise funding FOR the Retired Racehorse Project (RRP), New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program and The Fair Hill Thoroughbred Show--is going virtual this year. The champion will be crowned Oct. 24. This fundraiser invites individuals working in various parts of the racing industry to compete against each other on a Thoroughbred over a show jumping course wearing the silks of one of their sponsors. Each competitor pledges to raise a minimum of $1,000, which goes...
Equitana USA kicks off month-long virtual content, including webinars with equine industry notables, horsemen and women, and exhibitors addressing the care and performance of all breeds of horses. Sessions will include live interviews, panel discussions, expert seminars and educational content. Select Saturdays in September will feature 'Kid's Edition' content. Additionally, scheduled events will include barn tours with Horse Country Inc., sessions on training the performing arts horse, equine photography sessions and Q&A's with equine legal experts. Originally slated for this October but canceled last month due to COVID-19 concerns, the...