With 15 jockeys positive for coronavirus, Del Mar won't race again until July 24

Thursday at 8:45 a.m., jockey Abel Cedillo was at home near Del Mar, a place he did not expect to be on a weekday morning early in the summer race meeting.

Instead of working horses at the track, Cedillo was in the early days of a quarantine period, having tested positive for coronavirus on Tuesday. Cedillo was one of 15 Del Mar-based riders to test positive, the track announced on Wednesday. San Diego County health officials said in a statement released by the track that the affected riders, who were not all named, will be in quarantine for 10 days.

The outbreak led to the cancellation of racing from Friday through Sunday this week. Racing is scheduled to resume on Friday, July 24.

Cedillo had a decent start to the summer meeting, winning with 4 of 28 mounts on the opening weekend, July 10-12.

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When racing resumes, Cedillo is hoping to be back as soon as possible. The positive diagnosis caught him by surprise when he was informed on Wednesday.

“I didn’t have anything at all,” he said of coronavirus symptoms. “I’ve been feeling good.”

Now in quarantine, Cedillo was trying to stay active, within limits.

“I’ve been trying to do a little exercise in the house to stay fit,” he said.

Jockeys Drayden Van Dyke and Umberto Rispoli, the leading rider after the first weekend, announced on Twitter that they tested positive. They also indicated they were asymptomatic. Last weekend, jockeys Victor Espinoza and Flavien Prat tested positive and are well into their quarantine periods.

The riders who were informed of positive tests on Wednesday began their quarantine periods on Tuesday, a track official said.

Cedillo, 31, was the second-leading rider at the six-month Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, which ended last month. Cedillo said on Thursday morning that not all of his riding colleagues were found to be positive.

“A lot of jockeys tested negative,” he said. “It’s a little weird. We were in the room together for the last couple of days.”

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If racing resumes on July 24, the track will have an extensive schedule of stakes for that three-day week.

The July 24 program will include the $125,000 Fleet Treat Stakes and $65,000 Daisycutter Handicap. The July 25 program has two Grade 2 stakes – the San Diego Handicap and San Clemente Stakes – and $65,000 Smiling Tiger Stakes.

On July 26, two stakes will be run – the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes and $125,000 California Dreamin’ Stakes.

The San Diego Handicap, Daisycutter Handicap, Eddie Read Stakes, and Smiling Tiger Stakes were originally scheduled for this weekend. Maximum Security, the champion 3-year-old male of 2019, was scheduled to run in the San Diego Handicap on Saturday in his California debut.

Track officials are expected to meet this week to discuss the potential of adding racing days to replace this week’s canceled days. The season runs through Sept. 7.

When racing does resume, jockeys from racing circuits outside of California will not be permitted to ride at Del Mar, the track said. In addition, jockeys based at Del Mar who leave to ride at other venues will not be permitted to ride at Del Mar through the conclusion of the summer meeting. The track plans to expand the jockeys’ quarters when racing does resume.

Similar policies have been enacted at other tracks, notably at Saratoga Race Course in New York.