New York jockey colony

The New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (NYTHA) and the Jockeys' Guild agreed to a new scale of mount fees for jockeys who ride at NYRA tracks which will take effect Feb. 1, according to a Wednesday release from the Guild. Under the new fee agreement, jockeys will receive a minimum of a $125 losing mount fee for races at all NYRA racetracks as well as a $500 minimum fee in races with purses of $1 million or more. This scale also includes a 4th place incentive. "We have come to...

A surge in positive Coronavirus tests among jockeys was met on Tuesday with a flurry of new movement-related restrictions at Thoroughbred tracks from coast to coast in an effort to keep the pandemic from spreading further. For the industry in general, any sizable spike in COVID-19 positives among participants will almost certainly trigger another wave of racetrack shutdowns. But for jockeys specifically, the balance of maintaining safety under pandemic precautions often comes down to treading a fine line between protecting one's health versus protecting one's livelihood. Since the end of...