Laurel puts restrictions on jockey colony

Laurel Park in Maryland will no longer allow outside jockeys to compete at its meet, starting with the resumption of racing on Friday, unless the rider self-quarantines for 14 days and tests negative for the novel coronavirus, the track announced Tuesday.

The Laurel restriction is the latest measure to be put in place following a troubling spate of coronavirus positives in the U.S. riding community over the last week. Shortly before the announcement, Saratoga Race Course, which starts its prestigious meet Thursday, said that jockeys will be barred from the track if they ride at any other track during its 40-day meet.

Under the Laurel policy, “jockeys who enter another racetrack’s jockey quarters will not be permitted to ride in Maryland” until the quarantine period expires, the track said. In addition, jockeys outside of Maryland will not be able to work or gallop horses at Laurel or its sister track, Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

Jockeys already at Laurel who have ridden outside of Maryland in the week prior to racing resuming on Friday will be isolated at the track and “will be monitored,” Laurel said.

The Laurel policy is similar to one put in place at Indiana Grand last week.

In the past six days, at least six jockeys have tested positive for coronavirus, five of whom rode at Los Alamitos in Orange County on the July 3 or July 4 cards. Many of those riders then fanned out across the country to ride at tracks in Kentucky, Iowa, Indiana, New York, and Southern California before learning that they had been exposed to the virus.

* Ellis Park in western Kentucky also on Tuesday announced new restrictions on its jockey colony, with all jockeys and valets required to test negative for the coronavirus before gaining re-admittance to the track. Jockeys and valets will need to be re-tested if they leave the area surrounding Ellis Park, including riding at another track.