Keeneland cancels spring meet due to coronavirus

Keeneland Racecourse on Monday announced the cancellation of its entire 2020 spring meeting due to health concerns about coronavirus, becoming the most prominent live racing casualty to date of the pandemic.

Keeneland made its announcement after the Center for Disease Control issued a warning last night about prohibiting gatherings of 50 people or more for the next eight weeks. Last week, Keeneland had announced plans to ban spectators at the track from April 2-11, at the very least. The meet was scheduled from April 2-24.

“During the past several weeks, we have exhausted all avenues for safely conducting our Spring meet,” said Bill Thomason, the chief executive of the company. “Since the beginning of this pandemic, we have diligently worked with local, state, and national partners in health and government to ensure our actions are the most responsible we can take.”

Keeneland’s Monday announcement followed a flurry of responses from racetracks on Sunday and earlier in the day to the coronavirus pandemic. More were expected in the coming days due to the CDC advisory. Soon after Keeneland's cancellation, Monmouth announced a postponement to its meeting, from May 2 to May 23, subject to state and regulatory approval.

In Maryland on Sunday, Gov. Larry Hogan ordered that all gambling facilities be “closed to the general public,” leading to the shutdown of off-track betting facilities and casinos in the state. Laurel Park, however, put on its Sunday card, under the same protocols put in place earlier in the week, when it banned spectators from the racetrack. On Sunday night, racing officials said that they were still awaiting clarification from the governor’s office on whether Laurel could continue to race, with its next card scheduled for Friday.

In New Mexico on the same day, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisholm requested that the state’s tracks and casinos shut down, and Sunland Park held one last day of racing before announcing it would close for three weeks. The track’s signature race, the $700,000 Sunland Derby, scheduled for March 22, “will not take place as scheduled,” the track said.

In Arkansas, Oaklawn Park announced on Monday morning that it will continue to race spectator-free through March 30. The track also shuttered its casino, also through March 30, after two people tested positive for coronavirus in the county where the facility is located.

In Kentucky, Churchill Downs in Louisville, The Red Mile in Lexington, Kentucky Downs in Franklin, and Ellis Park in Henderson shut down their simulcasting and casino operations.

In Indiana, gaming and racing regulators ordered all racing and casino facilities to close as of 6:00 a.m. on Monday. The ban included off-track betting facilities.

In Minnesota, Canterbury Park shut down its simulcasting and casino operations as of noon on Monday.

In Pennsylvania, Penn National announced Monday afternoon it was temporarily suspending live racing.

–additional reporting by Mary Rampellini