Prairie Meadows to remain closed, despite government permission to open

Prairie Meadows will not open for live racing in the foreseeable future, despite state government approval to do so, the track said in a statement released late Thursday.

The decision to remain closed is a disappointment for some horsemen based in the Midwest who had been hopeful that the track would open its backstretch at a time when tracks in several surrounding states have begun making plans to restart racing.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday gave the go-ahead for racetracks to reopen as soon as May 15, but the same proclamation also stated that casinos in the state must remain closed until at least May 27. Prairie Meadows also operates a casino, which provides significant subsidies to racing.

In a statement explaining the track’s decision, Prairie Meadows President Gary Palmer said that the track’s board of directors voted to remain closed after Reynolds released the proclamation.

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“At Prairie Meadows, we care deeply about the health and well-being of our family of employees, our guests, the horsemen, and our community,” Palmer said. “This is a position in which we have been steadfast since deciding to close our full operation before any other casino in the state.”

Prairie Meadows closed its casino March 16. The track was scheduled to open its live meet May 1, but those plans were put on hold in March when the COVID-19 pandemic led to widespread disruptions across the United States. The track has not yet opened its stable area.

The track’s statement noted that Polk County, where Prairie Meadows is located, has the 10th-highest rate of infection in the country. The county includes a meat-processing plant where infections spiked recently.

The track also said that it did not believe that it could adequately contain infections on the backstretch due to the influx of horses and workers.

“The racing backside [barns and dormitories] creates a congregate environment for 500-1,000 horsemen and their workers who visit from all over the country, and stay for months at a time,” the statement said. “This creates a serious issue complying with social-distancing recommendations.”

A number of tracks and/or horsemen’s groups have convinced state government officials that they can enforce social-distancing protocols and conduct live racing relatively safely, including groups in Kentucky and Ohio. Canterbury Park in Minnesota has opened its backstretch to horses, but the track has not yet received approval to conduct live racing.