COVID-19

After riding the second race at Keeneland today, where he finished second aboard Fortuna (Medaglia d'Oro), jockey Luis Saez received a positive result back from a COVID-19 test he took on Thursday at Keeneland, and was removed from the remainder of his mounts. The news was confirmed by Keeneland's Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Vince Gabbert. Since July 4, Saez has ridden at four different tracks--Keeneland, Belmont, Indiana Grand, and Los Alamitos. "Based on the protocols we set up, we had him and several others isolated based on the...

In advance of the upcoming July Horses of Racing Age Sale in Lexington, Kentucky, Fasig-Tipton has instituted the following COVID-19 protocols: Screening measures, including temperature checks and health screening questions, will be in place to gain admittance to the sales grounds for all staff, participants, and attendees; Cloth face coverings are required in accordance with U.S. CDC recommendations; Participants will not be allowed to congregate. At least six feet of distance must be maintained between people; Seating capacity in the sales pavilion will be reduced below 33% of capacity; No...

Prize money for this year's G1 Juddmonte International S. at York has been cut to £275,000 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year's Group 1 was worth £1 million but with racing currently taking place behind closed doors after a delayed start to the season, the track's revenue has taken a serious hit, with the venue underlining "80% of prior year annual revenues for York Racecourse flowed from the presence of a gathering, either on a raceday or as part of our extensive non raceday events programme, none...

Hoping to allow crowds as large as 15,000 to its live racing days, Monmouth Park management has been given new guidelines by Governor Phil Murphy's office that will cap live attendance at a much smaller number. Dennis Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC., which operates the track, was still crunching the numbers yesterday prior to opening day at the abbreviated meet and going over what he could and could not do, but estimated that the amount of people that would be allowed in the track would be between...

Colonial Downs is slated to open for its 18-day stand Monday, July 27, and the turf-centric oval announced Friday that it will cap attendance at 1000 spectators in accordance with third phase of Virginia's COVID-19 re-opening plan. Spectators will be limited to outdoor areas of the track apron and grandstand; will receive temperature checks upon arrival; must maintain six feet  of distance from other attendees; and will be required to wear masks indoors and encouraged to wear them outdoors. "With the advancement into Phase 3 of Virginia's reopening plan, and...

In an effort to assist the elevated requests for food and non-perishable items, Indiana Grand Racing & Casino has made a donation of $4,000 to Shelby County Pantry Pals. "This donation is greatly appreciated," said Greg Gerline, president of Shelby County Pantry Pals. "These funds will be designated for food purchases for our seven food pantries in Shelby County." Elena Lisle, vice president of marketing at Indiana Grand, learned about the significant increase in requests for food. She coordinated the donation with Indiana Grand's Community Impact team to assist the...

The Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (DMTC) has implemented a new set of protocols and procedures to ensure human safety at its seaside Thoroughbred headquarters in advance of its 81st racing season. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the track will race without fans in 2020. Working in conjunction with health and medical experts in the county and state, Del Mar has put together a human safety program which will be in effect at the 340-acre racetrack during the 28-day season, running from July 10 to Sept. 7. Among the daily measures...

In conjunction with the State of Indiana and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville will allow for live racing beginning July 4. Simulcast operations will also resume at both properties. Both Hoosier and Indiana Grand will operate at reduced capacity, in accordance with State of Indiana and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission guidelines. All guests will be strongly encouraged to wear face masks in all locations, and will be required to wear face masks while...

As president of the sale company that conducted the final auction before the coronavirus pandemic shut down society as well as the first one after restrictions were lifted, OBS's Tom Ventura has had to learn on the fly. Wednesday, he joined the TDN Writers' Room podcast presented by Keeneland to offer his advice for the rest of the industry on keeping business going amidst COVID-19 and his impressions of the rebounding sale market. Calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week, Ventura said of the lessons...

   Much of the early part of the 2020 racing season has been uprooted, courtesy of the coronavirus pandemic, forcing many businesses into states of unexpected struggle and uncertainty. As a result, the flagging economy, coupled with the shutdown of racing at many tracks around the nation, left an indelible mark on many small equine-related businesses, many of whom have been shuttered or saw their trade fall off dramatically over the past months. With racing slowly resuming, albeit spectator-less, many businesses attempt to regain some traction as the industry ebbs...

Keeneland announced Keeneland at Home, Presented by Central Bank, offering viewers the opportunity to remotely enjoy Keeneland's five-day Summer Meet. Conducted July 8-12, the abbreviated season accommodates a portion of the 16-day Spring Meet that Keeneland was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 outbreak. "Fans flock to Keeneland during our race meets, and we will miss seeing thousands of faces in the stands for the Summer Meet, but we look forward to delivering their favorite race-day traditions so they can hold watch parties at home and enjoy Keeneland," Keeneland...

The Kentucky Derby Museum announced the addition of tours at Churchill Downs June 29. Following closure Mar. 16 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum reopened June 8 but was restricted from conducting tours at Churchill Downs due to health restrictions. For the first time, Churchill Downs is allowing Museum Guests to access The Mansion on two tours: Behind the Scenes and the Churchill Downs After-Hours Tours. The tours offer special access to non-public areas of Churchill Downs Racetrack, including the invitation-only venue called The Mansion. The museum will also...