Prairie Meadows puts jockey restrictions in place

Prairie Meadows racetrack in Altoona, Iowa, has joined with other racetracks in implementing a policy that will require outside jockeys to quarantine and test negative for coronanvirus before being allowed to ride at the track.

The order is to go into effect with the start of Friday's race card, Prairie Meadows said. Racetracks in Prairie Meadows’s orbit, such as Canterbury Park in Minnesota, Ellis Park in Kentucky, and Indiana Grand, have already put in place identical policies.

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Under the policy, no outside riders will be allowed on to the grounds without first self-quarantining for 14 days if they have ridden at another track. All riders allowed on to the grounds must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test within five days of arriving at the track.

A recent spate of positives in the riding community has led tracks across the U.S. to implement restrictive policies on their jockey colonies. In Southern California, Del Mar racetrack has canceled all of its race dates until next Friday due to positive tests for 15 riders in its colony.