COVID-19
The federal judge in charge of the alleged racehorse doping case involving trainers Jorge Navarro, Jason Servis, and 18 other defendants has set Apr. 2 as the new arraignment date. Court closures related to COVID-19 have already caused two postponements of the arraignment since Mar 23. In an effort to avoid another delay, the judge has ordered this Thursday's arraignment to be conducted via conference call. United States District Court (Southern District of New York) Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil also wrote in the Mar. 27 order that the missed time...
In an effort to resume live racing at Santa Anita as promptly as possible, starting Monday, March 30, jockeys will not be permitted on the track's backstretch and agents will be asked to stay off the grounds, according to a text circulated among the horsemen by track officials Saturday morning. This followed a sudden announcement Friday--with first post time looming--that Santa Anita, in accordance with Los Angeles County Health Department, would temporarily close for live racing "effective immediately" as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That same day, California Thoroughbred...
In every crisis, it's possible to find examples of kindness and generosity, of people reaching out to help total strangers out of the goodness of their heart. To focus attention on the many people in the industry who have stepped forward to help those who have been impacted by the coronavirus, the TDN has launched a series that we hope will put a smile on your face during these difficult times. We'll do our best to bring you a little bit of good news every chance we get. As...
The Arqana Breeze Up Sale, which released its catalogue earlier this week, could be rescheduled for either June 3 or 4 depending on the COVID-19 situation, the sales company announced on Saturday. Currently, the sale is slated for May 9, with breezes to take place the day prior. This format would be maintained if the sale is moved to early June. Deauville Racecourse will continue to play host for the breezes, regardless of when it is actually conducted. "In the midst of a crisis that is affecting us all, we...
Santa Anita Park was forced to close indefinitely Friday--making its announcement shortly before post time--on orders of the Los Angeles County Health Department in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aidan Butler, acting executive director of California racing for the Stronach Group (TSG), confirmed via text that for now, training is unaffected at Santa Anita. The track issued the following statement: "In accordance with instructions received from Los Angeles County Health Department, Santa Anita Park will temporarily close for live racing effective immediately in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. "We apologize...
The Thoroughbred Breeders' Association (TBA) has published an industry protocol for those working on stud farms during the coronavirus outbreak. Following the British government's order for people to work from home and remain under lockdown where possible, the TBA has taken advice for its members and their employees and believes that many people employed in the racing and stud sectors working with horses cannot work from home and are therefore deemed to be essential workers. The set of guidelines for the COVID-19 Protocol for Thoroughbred Breeders can be found here....
The number of individuals who work on the Belmont backstretch and have tested positive for coronavirus has risen to six. On Mar. 19, NYRA confirmed that a backstretch employee had tested positive and, according to NYRA Communications Director Patrick McKenna, five more racetrack workers at Belmont have tested positive since that time. After the first case of the virus was found, NYRA announced that live racing at Aqueduct had been postponed indefinitely. On Wednesday, NYRA announced that live racing was suspended through at least Apr. 5. With the latest outbreak,...
The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is calling for donations to assist backstretch workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak across the United States. All donations to the foundation will be designated for COVID-19 relief until further notice. The foundation's current priority is addressing the immediate need to stock food pantries at racetracks around the country, and it is coordinating with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America in this effort. Those who would like to contribute should visit tjcfoundation.org/donate. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, checks cannot be accepted at this time....
Churchill Downs announced the closure of Turfway Park Wednesday due to the coronavirus pandemic, citing the "Healthy at Home" Executive Order 2020-257 issued by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. With the Turfway racing season scheduled to run through Saturday, March 28, the remainder of the meet has been cancelled. Turfway Park's backside will remain open for training because it falls under the "life-sustaining business" category as it provides "food, shelter, and other necessities of life for animals."
In every crisis, it's possible to find examples of kindness and generosity, of people reaching out to help total strangers out of the goodness of their heart. To focus attention on the many people in the industry who have stepped forward to help those who have been impacted by the coronavirus, the TDN has launched a series that we hope will put a smile on your face during these difficult times. We'll do our best to bring you a little bit of good news every day. As a man known...
We are pleased to report we received a number of favorable responses to our first question and answer column. We also received several new questions which we are addressing at this time. Question #1: From a tax point of view, what should we do if the horses we bought to pinhook can now not be sold? Answer: As a result of the threat of COVID-19, many pinhookers are having second thoughts. Our normal transaction was to buy yearlings in 2019 for resale at the 2-year-old sales in March and April...
Horse Racing Ireland Chairman Nicky Hartery admits the sport possibly faces its "greatest challenge" after the decision was taken to suspend racing until the middle of April. Ireland had been racing behind closed doors since Mar. 13 as countries around the world battle to stop the spread of coronavirus. However, on Tuesday the Irish Government announced it was cancelling all sports events, even those without spectators, until at least Apr. 19--leaving the HRI board to assess the implications at a meeting on Wednesday. Hartery said, "What is most important is...