Gulfstream requires jockeys to be in Florida early

Jockeys who are scheduled to ride at Gulfstream Park this week – even if they’re riding only Saturday’s Florida Derby card – were required to be in Florida by Sunday night, according to Billy Badgett, the executive director of Florida racing operations for track owner The Stronach Group.

Badgett said this was agreed upon by The Stronach Group at the urging of The Jockeys’ Guild. However, Terry Meyocks, president and CEO of the Guild, said the original agreed-upon day to be in Florida was Tuesday.

“We had agreed to Tuesday then management changed it to yesterday,” Meyocks said Monday.

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There was no racing at Gulfstream Monday and Tuesday. Racing is scheduled to resume Wednesday.

“We don’t want people from all over the United States coming into our jocks’ room,” Badgett said Monday. “Totally a guild decision. They were a little bit nervous about guys flying in from New York.”

Jockeys Javier Castellano, Manny Franco and John Velazquez all flew down to Florida from New York on Sunday. New York has had the most confirmed cases of coronavirus, 20,875 through Sunday, including 2,442 in Nassau County, where those three jockeys live.

Junior Alvarado was scheduled to ride at Gulfstream Park on Friday and Saturday. But he was flying back to New York from Fair Grounds in New Orleans, where he rode Saturday’s card, when he was made aware of the Florida rule and will not be riding at Gulfstream this week.

“That caught us off-guard,” said Mike Sellitto, the agent for Alvarado said. “We were originally told we had to be there Tuesday night. At the last minute they told us Sunday night.”

Velazquez had originally been scheduled to fly to Dubai this week, but on Sunday it was announced that Saturday’s Dubai World Cup card was canceled.

Badgett said those jockeys, as well as others who had not been riding in Florida but were scheduled to come for the Florida Derby Day card, had to show proof of being in Florida by Sunday.

Badgett said that beginning Wednesday, whether they are riding that day’s card or not, all jockeys will be required to come to first aid and get their temperatures taken as well as get blood pressure and other vitals checked. These protocols have been in place since last weekend.

In another move, Gulfstream moved three stakes scheduled for Friday to Saturday and will make decisions whether to use them based on field size. They are the Grade 3 Hal’s Hope, Grade 3 Appleton, and $75,000 Sir Shackleton.

“If they have five-horse fields most likely we won’t use them,” said Badgett, who added that purse money has been adversely impacted due to the closing of the ontrack casino.