COVID-19

The Thoroughbred Owners of California announced that horse owners will be allowed on grounds for racing at the Alameda County Fairgrounds, beginning immediately. Owners must follow these guidelines on the grounds: Owners will be permitted one guest per owner. Owners will be permitted to watch only the race their horse is entered in. Owners must abide by the safety protocols of the Alameda County Fair (including wearing a face mask and social distancing). Owners will be restricted to access only the apron and paddock areas. The Alameda County Health Department...

Maryland Thoroughbred Horsemen Association, after conferring with the Maryland Jockey Club, announced operations will resume at a similar purse structure for overnight races through the rest of the summer, while staging live racing two days a week. Moving forward, as revenues increase, plans call for the addition of days to the calendar. With Casinos scheduled to re-open June 19, the MJC is expected to begin relaxing restrictions of owner's access to the backstretch as well as allowing all licensed personal access to the backstretch beginning June 20.

All flat races will return to 48-hour declarations from Wednesday, June 24, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Wednesday. Declarations to run on June 24 must be made by 10 a.m. on June 22. For jumps racing, 48-hour declarations have also been put in place beginning on Wednesday, July 1, so declarations must be made by June 29. Due to the coronavirus, declarations had previously been required 72 hours before a race. The BHA's statement read in part, "This change is only possible due to the support of trainers and...

The first edition of the new Tattersalls August Sale, to be held at Park Paddocks in Newmarket on Aug. 25-26, was announced by the sales company on Wednesday. Comprised of primarily horses and fillies in training, the catalogue will also include some breeding stock and is in a similar mould to the Tattersalls July Sale. "The decision to stage an August Sale is entirely in response to the unique COVID-19 related circumstances we all find ourselves facing," said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. "We were acutely aware as we took entries...

Royal Ascot, which will feature 36 races for the first time as the coronavirus results in a spectatorless meeting, will reach over 120 countries via television broadcasts, Ascot Racecourse announced on Monday. ITV1 in the UK will display the iconic, five-day meeting, while the royal meeting will also be available in America, Australia, the Middle East, India, the Caribbean and Europe. ITV will cover 30 races on their main channel. Sky Sports Racing, reaching 14 million homes in the UK and Ireland, will broadcast all 36 races, and the Royal...

Despite the lack of spectators throughout its five-day run due to the coronavirus, Royal Ascot will still offer awards for the leading jockey, trainer and owner. Last year's champion jockey Frankie Dettori will face fellow past champion Ryan Moore among others, but unique to 2020, there will be no transferable armband for the leading jockey throughout the meeting. Aidan O'Brien, a 10-time winner of the Leading Trainer Award, faces previous winners Sir Michael Stoute, John Gosden, Mark Johnston and Saeed bin Suroor. Created in 2017, the Royal Ascot Leading Owner...

It's Royal Ascot once again, but not as we know it. No crowds, no fashion, no Queen. It is a case of "Royal Ascot At Home" for virtually everybody this year, even for the main players whose money makes it all possible. That said, at least there is still Frankie, Aidan O'Brien, Wesley Ward, Sir Michael Stoute and Battaash (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) and all the other working equine and human cast and crew that make this week so special. One of Britain's most brilliant racehorses of recent years, Battaash...

Prize money levels have been restored to their pre-COVID-19 levels for each race in the Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction Series and the new Irish EBF Median Sires Series, the Irish European Breeders' Fund announced on Monday. Each race series had its prize money cut per race by €1,000 as a result of the coronavirus, but the Irish EBF stepped in to return prize money levels to pre-COVID. There are 10 Foran Equine Irish EBF Auction races and 11 Irish EBF Median Sires races to the beginning of August, with...

Jam And Mam (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was prevented from running at Doncaster on Sunday after one of the members of staff travelling with the horse failed a temperature check. Strict protocols in place on racecourses since the resumption of racing in Britain in June 1 mean all individuals attending a fixture must pass a temperature check, with a threshold of 37.8C. The Archie Watson-trained 3-year-old had been due to run in division one of the Read Andrew Balding On Betway Insider H. A spokesperson for the British Horseracing Authority...

The Churchill Downs Foundation has launched the Relief for Equine Industry Needs ("R.E.I.N.") to assist members of the racing community that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced Friday. The R.E.I.N. Fund will specifically address the needs of backstretch communities by providing meals, micro-grants and financial assistance with emergency needs as well as the fulfillment of essential care for horses. One of the earliest supporters of the R.E.I.N. Fund has been trainer Jack Sisterson, who announced in early May that he would donate a portion of his...

The New York Racing Association (NYRA) has released a variety of downloadable content to accompany next Saturday's GI Belmont S. Branded as Your Belmont Stakes, features include contender information, race-day activities and more. This year's Belmont will be contested without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "'Your Belmont Stakes' is a great way to get involved and follow the action on one of the best days of the year in American racing," said Don Scott, Vice President, Marketing at NYRA. "These interactive tools are our way of providing 'the next...

In line with Government guidelines relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, Tattersalls has released safety protocols for the upcoming Tattersalls Craven and Ascot Breeze Up Sale in Newmarket June 25. The sale will be restricted to attending professionals, who will all be required to complete a Medical Declaration Form and have it submitted to Tattersalls well in advance of the sale. To review the safety protocols and access the Medical Declaration Form, visit www.tattersalls.com.