The Maryland House on Sunday afternoon passed a bill that would provide $375 million in funds for the renovation of Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, in a vote that will likely result in the legislation being sent to the governor for his signature by the middle of the week, according to Maryland racing officials.
Churchill Downs has suspended all simulcast operations at its track in Louisville and shut down its casino in the same city for at least the next 14 days in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the track announced on Sunday afternoon.
Sunland Park in New Mexico will close for three weeks, effective immediately, after the state’s governor asked the track to shutter in response to the coronavirus, according to a release issued by the track on Sunday afternoon.
Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland has ordered that all racetracks and simulcast facilities in the state close “to the general public” in response to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a notice posted on the state government’s website. Laurel Park, however, continued to race on Sunday as they waited for clarification on when the order was to go into effect and whether it meant the track had to cancel racing.
Gary West, the owner of last year’s 3-year-old champion Maximum Security, has retained the renowned equine health expert Dr. Larry Bramlage to run “hoof to tail” examinations of the horse and organize the completion of tests on his urine, blood, and hair in the wake of the indictment of the colt’s trainer on charges related to the administration of illegal substances.
Churchill Downs has stepped up its timetable for determining when – or if – to hold the Kentucky Derby this year in the wake of nationwide cancellations of large events due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to an alert the company posted on its website on Saturday.
Parx Racing outside of Philadelphia has suspended live racing for a minimum of two weeks due to the Coronavirus situation, according to David Osojnak, the track’s director of racing.
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 Thursday, just following an announcement from Turfway Park that the track will be closed for spectators through the remainder of its meet.
Racetracks across the U.S. and around the world began rapidly mobilizing in reaction to the burgeoning coronavirus outbreak, with tracks in California, Florida, Maryland, New York, Ireland, and Dubai closing their doors to spectators for the foreseeable future.
The fatality rate for racehorses making starts at North American racetracks was 1.53 per 1,000 starts in 2019, according to statistics released on Thursday, the lowest rate since the launch of the Equine Injury Database in 2009.
