COVID-19

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has reopened the application process for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL)-COVID-19 related assistance program after a short delay. Farms with fewer than 500 employees whose primary activity is breeding horses may now apply for these loans offered to businesses that have suffered economic hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. "This is welcome news and a terrific opportunity for horse farms that are currently facing a number of daunting challenges," said NTRA President and CEO Alex Waldrop. "The NTRA encourages quick action by...

The French racing community received good news on Monday, with the confirmation that racing will be authorised in Paris on May 11. Paris had been declared a "red zone" under the coronavirus lockdown restrictions in France, but France Galop President Edouard de Rothschild tweeted the positive news on Monday morning. "We obtained and received from the Prefecture de Police de Paris the authorisation to resume racing on May 11," de Rothschild tweeted. "This is very good news and a real victory!" The French government had earlier announced its support of...

Confident that racing will resume shortly at Santa Anita, the track's racing department has released a stakes schedule that covers May 16 through the end of the meet on June 21. There are several changes to the stakes program, including new dates for the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Santa Anita Oaks, as well as reduced purses for many of the track's top races. Santa Anita is hoping to begin racing again on May 15, but is still waiting approval to do so from the Los Angeles County Department...

In a first-quarter earnings conference call on Thursday, Bill Carstanjen, the chief executive officer of Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), said he was "more than cautiously optimistic" that the Sep. 5 GI Kentucky Derby will proceed as rescheduled, ideally with spectators allowed to attend by adhering to whatever form of COVID-19 social distancing is appropriate at that time. As part of a broader scope of fiscal progress reports, Carstanjen also gave updates on construction projects at the gaming firm's two Thoroughbred racetrack properties in Kentucky, where work is both ongoing and...

Give Back for Special Equestrians, an all-volunteer nonprofit 501(c)(3), is issuing an S.O.S Save Our Stables Emergency Relief Fund calling on the equestrian community to help save therapeutic horseback riding stables for disabled children and veterans throughout South Florida. When schools closed Mar. 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, therapeutic horseback riding stables across South Florida were forced to close their barn doors. Without revenue from riding lessons and with high monthly operating and maintenance costs in excess of $500 per horse for basic necessities like shoes, shelter, shavings, hay,...

Lara Telfer, Regional Marketing Manager for the Jockey Club's South West region, won the first heat of Racing Welfare's Furlong Factor with her rendition of Birdy's son, Wings. Competing against three other singers, Telfer now advances toward the Furlong Factor Final, which will be broadcasted on Sky Sports Racing on Saturday, May 9th. Heat two begins at 8 p.m. local time on Racing Welfare's Twitter page on Thursday evening and heats will continue every night until May 4th. Contestants are battling for a £1,5000 cash prize and an all-expenses paid...

Entries for the Frankie Dettori Raffle are now open. For the winning racing fan, announced by Dettori on June 1, they will be able to register their own silks for a horse to carry in one Flat race in 2021, with Dettori in the irons. All proceeds from the competition, run by the newly launched Racehorse Lotto and supported by Racing Breaks, will go to the Charities Together COVID-19 Appeal. Tickets are £2 each, with entries limited to UK residents age 18 or older and excluding Northern Ireland. For more...

Backstretch workers at Belmont Park will soon receive some relief in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic in the form of $50 gift cards donated by United Way of Long Island. The cards, which total more than $30,000 in value, will be distributed to all backstretch workers by members of the Backstretch Employee Service Team of New York (B.E.S.T.) and the Belmont Child Care Association (BCCA). This gift expands a program that kicked off earlier this month in which backstretch workers completing quarantine received gift cards, courtesy of United Way...

Predictably, Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), on Wednesday reported 2020 first-quarter revenue drops because of the COVID-19 pandemic that has shut down racing and gaming throughout the nation since mid-March. But CDI noted within those results that it experienced "strong performance" from its TwinSpires advance-deposit wagering platform, with handle growth of 8.3% over the prior year's quarter. "For the first quarter of 2020, net revenue increased $4.3 million from the prior year quarter primarily due to a $3.7 million increase at TwinSpires," CDI reported in its Apr. 29 United States Securities...

Churchill Downs has been cleared by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to open its backstretch area May 11 so long as the track adheres to enhanced pandemic precautions approved by the state. Beshear announced the clearance Wednesday at his daily COVID-19 video press conference as part of a phased-in reopening for various state industries. Churchill followed up about an hour later with a press release that included specifics pertinent to horsemen. Neither Beshear nor the track pinpointed an exact date for the return of live racing. But the Churchill release stated...

With Lone Star Park announcing that it will open its stable area May 4 and with Texas Governor Greg Abbott going ahead with aggressive plans to re-open the state's businesses, Texas horsemen have said they are confident that racing will resume shortly at Lone Star Park. And there may even be fans in the stands to greet racing's return. There has been no racing in Texas since Mar. 28, when Sam Houston ended its meet ahead of schedule. The Lone Star meet was set to begin Apr. 16, but the...

from Katie DeCanzio I am writing with urgency asking for help by bringing attention to a crisis we are currently experiencing in Pennsylvania regarding the horse racing industry. As a result of Gov. Tom Wolf's lockdown orders in response to Covid-19 our industry is on the verge of collapse. Horse racing in Pennsylvania generates revenues solely through gaming activities.Horse racing creates 23,000 jobs and billions of dollars of economic activity within our state. Unlike other businesses, horse racing cannot simply shut its doors as a result of a lockdown order.There...