COVID-19
Sam Houston Race Park was forced to cancel its stakes-laden Texas Champions Day card after the second race Saturday night when a transformer blew, and will not hold its final four days of racing, citing the COVID-19 pandemic. Its 2020 Quarter Horse meet set to start Apr. 10 has also been cancelled. "We share in the disappointment this creates throughout the Texas racing industry and for our valued customers and employees," said Sam Houston Vice President and General Manager Dwight Berube. "Sam Houston Race Park looks forward to a time...
The TDN Writers' Room podcast, presented each week by Keeneland, was a strange affair this week, conducted in an otherwise empty TDN office, with Bill Finley and Jon Green sitting six feet apart, and host Joe Bianca calling in from home. "We need to march on, just like the world does," said Jon Green. "We're just a small part of what's going on out there, but I've been implementing social distancing for just about all of my 50 years." That led Bianca to crack, "All of those nights without a...
Officials at the Maryland Jockey Club announced the cancellation of Friday's scheduled live racing program at Laurel Park and will pause racing indefinitely following an executive order from the office of Maryland Governor Larry Hogan. "In accordance with the Maryland Governor's Executive Orders and as part of the continuing effort to protect the health and safety of essential personnel and the horses they care for, the Maryland Jockey Club will temporarily pause live racing at Laurel Park and Rosecroft Raceway," read a statement. "Our top priority is the well-being of...
Gulfstream Park issued the following announcement late Thursday night: Gulfstream Park will suspend racing for one day, Friday, March 20, to update its protocols in a number of areas, including the Jockeys' Room. Racing is scheduled to resume on Saturday, March 21. Last week, Gulfstream Park took strict measures to limit exposure by closing the facility to the public for live racing and simulcast. Gulfstream Park has operated in full compliance with all government and local health orders, while ensuring the protection of the essential personnel that care for the...
The New York Racing Association has suspended live racing at Aqueduct Racetrack until further notice due to changing circumstances in the racing community relative to the coronavirus. A backstretch worker who lives and works at Belmont Park tested positive Thursday morning for the coronavirus. Following NYRA's Preparedness and Response Plan, the worker has been quarantined since developing symptoms the morning of Friday, Mar. 13. His roommate was also quarantined at that time. "This individual and his roommate have been in isolation since prior to racing last Friday and as such...
The ever-growing threat to American life that is coronavirus COVID-19 has rapidly chipped away at horse racing's business after shutting down the affairs of all major sports. Only a handful of tracks are choosing to stay open without spectators as of this writing, and news of the four-month postponement of the GI Kentucky Derby drove home once and for all that the sport would not be unaffected by this crisis. But deeper into the heart of Kentucky than the Twin Spires, are stallion and breeding farms. As much as racetracks,...
While Ireland's flat turf season is still scheduled to get underway at Naas on Sunday, an announcement is expected by Wednesday afternoon regarding the nation. Britain became the latest European country-following France, Germany, Italy and Spain-to call off racing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and it is conceivable that the Emerald Isle could follow suit. With a legitimate Classic contender in his care in Siskin (First Defence), trainer Ger Lyons is no doubt keen to get up and running but said he fears that doing so amidst the...
NTRA President Alex Waldrop was the first speaker on the NTRA's teleconference Tuesday, during which he spoke at length about the current coronavirus pandemic, recommendations on dealing with it and different steps being taken by the racing industry. The following are some of the highlights of that talk: "So much of this pandemic is local in nature. Central Kentucky has its own special circumstances. Some tracks may be in an area with less community spread. We ask everyone to stay in touch with your state and local health department and...
Emperor's Palace National Yearling Sale, originally on the calendar for Apr. 22-24, will be moved back a month to May 21-23, Bloodstock South Africa announced on Tuesday. Depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic plays out in South Africa, this policy will be reviewed on Apr. 16.
The Arqana Breeze Up Sale, despite the coronavirus pandemic, will keep its May 8-9 schedule, the French sales company announced on Tuesday. A provisional catalogue will be online on Mar. 25, however changes may occur to this timeline, depending on COVID-19 and the response required to maintain the health and safety of all participants. The closing date for the Arqana yearling and store sales has been moved to Apr. 3, while the planning of yearling and store inspections is underway. These will occur as confinement measures allow, as France is...
The Tattersalls Ascot March Sale, originally scheduled for Thursday, Mar. 19, has been cancelled, the sales company announced on Tuesday. Earlier on Tuesday, British racing was suspended until the end of April following changes in government guidelines in battling the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Now, the Tattersalls Ascot Breeze Up Sale, originally set for Mar. 31-Apr.1 and the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale, slated for Apr. 13̀-15, have been combined and will take place in Newmarket from Apr. 29-May 1. Also, the Tattersalls Guineas Breeze Up and Horses in Training Sale...
On a day when racetracks around the world, including Keeneland, announced they would be shutting their doors due to the COVID-19 outbreak, NYRA, Oaklawn, Gulfstream and the Fair Grounds announced their intentions to continue racing. The decision by NYRA may have been the most surprising among the three as it came just hours after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a ban of gatherings of 50 people or more and that restaurants, bars, movie theaters and casinos must shut down. Aqueduct's next scheduled day of live racing is Friday. As...