Golden Gate ordered to close because of coronavirus pandemic

Golden Gate Fields has been ordered closed by Alameda County officials because of the coronavirus pandemic, track executives said on Thursday.

The track made the announcement in a text message sent to horsemen late Thursday morning, about an hour before the first race was scheduled to begin.

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Golden Gate Fields, located in Albany, Calif., in the Bay Area, had been racing without spectators and with a limited number of track personnel in attendance since mid-March, when the stay-at-home orders were issued in that region.

It was not immediately clear how long Golden Gate Fields will be closed. The track was operating on a Thursday-through-Sunday basis.

“There is no timeline” for the length of the closure, said Aidan Butler, the acting director of California operations for The Stronach Group, the parent company of Golden Gate Fields and Santa Anita.

In a statement, the track said: “In accordance with instructions received this morning from the Alameda County Public Health Officer, Golden Gate Fields will temporarily close for live racing effective immediately. . . . This measure is being taken in response to a mandate from Alameda County officials.”

The track’s statement said there are no coronavirus positives at Golden Gate Fields.

Santa Anita was closed by order of Los Angeles County health officials on March 27 after racing for five days from March 14-22 without spectators and with limited track personnel. Santa Anita announced on Tuesday that the track would not operate this weekend.

Santa Anita was scheduled to run the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby and Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on Saturday, but those races have been postponed until later in the meeting. The season is scheduled to run through June 21.

Golden Gate Fields is scheduled to race through June 9.