Aqueduct racing suspended through at least April 5

The New York Racing Association on Wednesday officially suspended racing operations at Aqueduct through at least April 5 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The suspension of operations means the April 4 card, featuring five stakes including the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, will not be run as scheduled. NYRA announced that the Wood, a key points race on the road to the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby, would be postponed to a yet-to-be-determined date. A decision on the remainder of the Aqueduct spring stakes schedule – including the Grade 1 Carter Handicap – will also be made at a later date. Aqueduct’s 13-day spring meet was scheduled from April 2 through April 19. Racing is scheduled to move to Belmont Park on April 24.

“While this decision is necessary, NYRA is working hard to determine when we can return to racing while prioritizing the health and welfare of everyone involved in our operations,” NYRA CEO and President Dave O’Rourke said in a press release. “I would like to thank the trainers and backstretch community who are caring for the horses stabled at Belmont Park during this period of great uncertainty.”

On March 19, after a Belmont backstretch worker was confirmed to have had coronavirus, NYRA announced it was suspending racing operations indefinitely. The final six cards of March were scrapped and now the first four cards of the 13-day spring meet are canceled.

As of Tuesday, there were six backstretch workers at Belmont who have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to NYRA spokesman Pat McKenna. Two people are recovering off the property and four are in quarantine and isolated at Belmont Park, McKenna said.

New York has been the hardest hit state by coronavirus. On Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that there were 38,811 cases in the state. There are 3,285 cases in Nassau County, where Belmont Park is located. By comparison, the state second-most impacted by the virus is New Jersey with 3,675 cases.

McKenna said that NYRA has implemented a number of safeguards recommended by its Preparedness and Response Plan Committee for the 585 employees and the 1,300 horses who are based on the Belmont backstretch.

NYRA has contracted with multiple outside cleaning vendors following best practices established by the New York State Department of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Access to the backstretch is restricted to Gate 6, and all workers – including licensed horsemen – that do not live on the backstretch are subject to a standard health assessment, including a temperature check.

NYRA has closed a number of common areas to horsemen, including the recreation center, The Morning Line Café, a second track kitchen, and the clockers’ stand at the training track.

Though the Morning Line Café is closed for two weeks, the main track kitchen is providing grab-and-go food options to align with guidance from the New York State Department of Health.

NYRA said Wednesday that it has confirmed with its vendor Triple Star Horse Feed that the feed supply for horses stabled at Belmont has not been adversely impacted.

While clockers are permitted in the clockers’ stand, horsemen are encouraged to watch training trackside while observing social-distancing guidelines.

Beginning this Sunday, there will be no more training permitted on Sundays.

NYRA is allowing horses to ship out but is no longer allowing horses to ship in, except under extenuating circumstances and subject to approval of Martin Panza, NYRA’s senior vice president of racing operations.

Pletcher moves Belmont horses

On Tuesday, trainer Todd Pletcher told Daily Racing Form he is closing his Belmont Park stable for the foreseeable future. Pletcher had 19 horses based at Belmont and said that all were scheduled to ship out by Wednesday. Pletcher said some of those horses would ship to his base of operations at the Palm Beach Downs training center in Florida while others would go to his father Jake’s farm in Ocala and some to WinStar Farm in Kentucky.

“For the safety of our employees and to make sure horses are getting the proper care, we’ve decided to temporarily shut down our barn until this thing is over,” Pletcher said Tuesday from Florida.