Saratoga Race Course will not allow jockeys to ride at the track if the jockey leaves during its upcoming summer meet to ride elsewhere, under a new protocol announced Tuesday in the midst of an unsettling recent spate of positive coronavirus tests in the U.S. riding community. Under the new policy, which was hashed out through discussions with representatives of New York horsemen and The Jockeys’ Guild over the last several days, Saratoga will seek to create a closed riding colony in order to limit the potential spread of the novel coronavirus. Beginning Thursday, opening day of the prestigious Saratoga meet, no jockey will be allowed on to the grounds if the rider has ridden at any track other than Saratoga after the start of the track’s live meet. “These measures prioritize the health and safety of the jockeys competing in New York and are designed to combat the spread of COVID-19,” the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, David O’Rourke, chief executive officer of the New York Racing Association, said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the restrictive travel policies implemented today have become necessary as cases continue to rise in states across the country.” 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. The latest jockey to test positive, Florent Geroux, rode at Belmont on Saturday, sandwiched between taking mounts at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington. Terry Meyocks, chief executive of The Jockeys’ Guild, called the new policy a “common-sense approach to add a layer of protection” for riders during the Saratoga meet. “Our membership stands in full support of these new travel protocols,” Meyocks said. :: Play Saratoga with DRF! Visit our Saratoga shop for DRF PPs, Picks and Clocker Reports: Riders will need to test negative from a swab taken within five days of riding their first mount at Saratoga in order to be allowed on to the grounds, according to the New York Racing Association, which operates Saratoga. Under previous protocols, Saratoga was expecting to allow riders to ship-in to the track to ride, while isolating the riders in separate quarters, but that will no longer be allowed if the jockey has ridden at any track other than Saratoga since the start of the meet. All personnel who will work at Saratoga this year are being required to provide a negative coronavirus test prior to being allowed on the property, NYRA said. Jockeys and valets will not be allowed in the barn area. The new policy may place some riders in a quandary due to the running of the $1 million Haskell Stakes on Saturday at Monmouth Park in New Jersey, which is setting up as a critical prep race for this year’s rescheduled Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5. In a typical year, many Saratoga riders accept mounts for the Haskell card, which this year will have five stakes in addition to the Haskell. Jockeys Irad Ortiz Jr. and Ricardo Santana Jr. were scheduled to ride at Monmouth on Saturday. The agents for both riders said Tuesday that they will stay in Saratoga. For Ortiz, that means he won’t be able to ride Dr Post in the Haskell as well as other mounts for trainer Chad Brown in undercard stakes. Santana was scheduled to ride three stakes horses at Monmouth, most notably She’s a Julie in the Molly Pitcher. Steve Rushing, Ortiz’s agent, said NYRA made the right decision. “It’s the right thing to do,” Rushing said. “At this point, we have to do whatever we have to do to keep racing, whatever it takes. It’s not great, it’s not ideal but hey, every jockey’s in the same situation. If you can’t go out of town, you can’t go out of town. We’re just fortunate that we’re racing.” Ruben Munoz, the agent for Santana, said “I can’t sacrifice the whole meet at Saratoga for one day.” Joe Bravo, the Monmouth Park mainstay, will pick up the mount on Dr Post. Entries for Saturday’s Monmouth card were to be drawn Wednesday. – additional reporting by David Grening