Horse racing continues to adjust to coronavirus pandemic

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington will not allow spectators at its immensely popular spring meet from opening day on April 2 until at least April 11, the track announced late Thursday amidst a slew of similar cancellations for racetracks running live across the United States.

So far, Keeneland has been the only U.S. racetrack to announce pre-emptive restrictions on spectators, but on Thursday and Friday, nearly every racetrack currently running a live meet barred the doors to its facilities indefinitely, citing public health guidance related to the coronavirus outbreak. The list of Thoroughbred tracks that barred spectators included Aqueduct, Santa Anita, Golden Gate, Gulfstream, Los Alamitos, Turfway, Tampa Bay Downs, Sam Houston, and Oaklawn Park.

On Sunday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan ordered that all racetracks and simulcast facilities close immediately in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Laurel proceeded with its Sunday card, which was already being conducted without spectators, while awaiting clarification on the order.

Tampa’s ban was set to go into effect following its Sunday card, while Oaklawn Park said it would bar spectators for the weekend and then re-evaluate the policy.

Fair Grounds, in New Orleans, announced Friday that it would conduct racing spectator-free through the conclusion of its meet on Sunday, March 29. The track will host the Grade 2, $1 million Louisiana Derby on Saturday, March 21.

All of the tracks said racing would continue, limited to licensed personnel.

Racing’s plan to continue running was in stark contrast to other sports which canceled their events outright. David O’Rourke, the chief executive of the New York Racing Association, said that the plan for Aqueduct to continue running but without spectators drew on the experience of racetracks in Hong Kong and France.

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“It’s not a contact sport,” O’Rourke said Friday. “The jocks can ride against each other all day and can be essentially isolated from interacting with each other. We believe this is prudent. But as we’ve seen in the last week, anything can change. Regardless, we got to take care of the horses anyway, so running racing incrementally isn’t that far a reach over what we’re going to have to do anyway.”

Rillito Park in Tucson, Ariz., canceled the next two weekends of racing, acting on the “request” of Tucson’s mayor and the state’s governor. Fairmount Park in East St. Louis, Ill., announced it had canceled racing for this Saturday; would race without spectators on the next live racing day, Tuesday; and would then review the situation after that card. The track will remain open for simulcasting, it said, because simulcast crowds “have averaged about 100 people so far in 2020.”

On Saturday, Parx Racing canceled racing until further notice; Turf Paradise called off the remainder of its meet, which was scheduled to run through May 3; and Woodbine suspended sumulcast wagering. Mahoning Valley Race Course, which on Saturday said it would suspend racing, announced Sunday that the track would resume racing without spectators beginning Tuesday, March 17.

Keeneland’s plan to bar spectators was announced three weeks prior to the track’s spring meet starting, even though the extent of the spread of the virus can be hard to predict. The track said automatic refunds will be issued to anyone who has bought tickets already for the cards held April 2-11, and that patrons who have purchased tickets for the remaining dates of the meet, April 15-24, “have the option to request a full refund at any time.”

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Keeneland will decide whether to permit spectators beginning April 15 after consulting with local health and government officials, the track said. The track is not scheduled to race on Easter Sunday, April 12.

The Keeneland spring race meet is one of the most heavily anticipated events on the social and sporting calendar in Lexington, the center of the U.S. breeding industry. In addition to locals, the meet draws charter buses full of tourists from surrounding states.

Keeneland also said that it has canceled its upcoming 2-year-olds in training sale scheduled for April 7. Fasig-Tipton announced that it has canceled its 2-year-olds in training sale at Gulfstream scheduled for April 1. That sale will be merged with the Midlantic 2-year-old sale at Timonium on May 18-19.

“While our horsemen and fans are certainly disappointed about us having to take these measures, it is critical to protect the health and safety of our patrons, employees, and participants from the spread of COVID-19,” Keeneland’s chief executive, Bill Thomason, said in a press release. “We take our responsibility to the community and the horse industry seriously and we will continue to work in partnership with government authorities.”

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Among the protocols put in place by Gulfstream Park management prior to running Friday’s racing program behind closed doors was the requirement that all jockeys as well as the valets working in the jocks room pass a brief physical exam from the track’s first-aid crew prior to the afternoon’s opening race.

“They took our temperature and blood pressure,” veteran rider Rajiv Maragh said. “I’ve never had to do anything like this before. It was just a precautionary measure, and we all understood the reason for it. The jocks room is such a contained place, lots of people going in and out, it’s pretty hard for us not to be in close quarters throughout the course of the day.”

As for riding in front of an empty grandstand, Maragh said, “I usually try to shut the crowd out while I’m riding, so it really didn’t make that much difference to me.”

Turfway Park is holding its lone Kentucky Derby prep, the Jeff Ruby Steaks, on Saturday, and it has heavily promoted the race. Refunds will be issued to anyone who had bought tickets to the event.

Turfway’s owner, Churchill Downs Inc., noted the wet-weather forecast for Saturday in its announcement that spectators would be barred.

“Due to the large number of people expected to attend and the density of the crowd these weather conditions would create, the ability to ensure safe social distancing, per recent public health guidelines, would be compromised,” the company said.

Separately, Churchill Downs announced Saturday that it will provide an update next week on plans for the Kentucky Derby, currently scheduled for May 2.

"We recognize that the impact of this iconic event extends well beyond the historic racetrack of Churchill Downs," the company said in statement. "The Kentucky Derby is a cherished and important time for the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky. We are mindfully aware of our fans who travel from great distances to join us as well as our valued employees whose most intense preparations to host a world-class event begin now.

"For these reasons, we have been working carefully and diligently with relevant health experts and authorities to ensure we make the most responsible decision regarding the timing of the 146th Kentucky Derby this year. We thank you for your patience and are committed to providing regular communication and transparency as we move forward. This is not a decision we take lightly and we expect to have an update about the Kentucky Derby and additional information on our upcoming spring meet in the coming week."

Previously, the company made clear that it does not expect to cancel the Derby outright and is expecting to run the race at a later date if the coronavirus outbreak is not contained.

“With the event still seven weeks away, a decision will be made closer to the date, with respect to postponing the event until later in the year, using the most recent information while working with and seeking guidance from public health experts and authorities,” the company said.

The Stronach Group, which owns Santa Anita, Golden Gate, Gulfstream, and Laurel, said that its attendance policies for its tracks would be in place “indefinitely” but will be “evaluated on a daily basis on the advice of governmental and health authorities.”

– additional reporting by David Grening, Marcus Hersh, and Mike Welsch

Tracks running without spectators
Aqueduct
Fair Grounds
Golden Gate
Gulfstream Park
Keeneland (opening day April 2)
Laurel Park (awaiting clarification on govenor's order to close made 3/15)
Los Alamitos
Mahoning Valley (starting March 17)
Oaklawn Park
Santa Anita
Sam Houston
Tampa Bay Downs (starting Wednesday)
Turfway Park

Canceled racing
Turf Paradise (remainder of meet called off)
Parx Racing (until further notice)
Rillito Park (through March 22)
Fairmount (Saturday)
Woodbine simulcasting (until further notice)
Sunland Park (until further notice)

Canceled sales
Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream sale
Keeneland April sale