Sharp Samurai finds himself in a very crowded boat

The five-time stakes winner Sharp Samurai worked Saturday as he approaches $1 million in career earnings. But with racing temporarily suspended at Santa Anita since March 22 because of the coronavirus outbreak, reaching that goal may take longer than hoped.

Sharp Samurai is one of more than 2,000 Thoroughbreds based at Southern California tracks and training centers that prepare each day for the resumption of racing. The problem is owners and trainers do not know when racing will restart.

Santa Anita officials recently sent a proposal to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health listing the protocols the track will enact to keep track and backside workers safe from the virus if allowed to resume racing. It is not clear when county health officials will respond to Santa Anita’s request, or whether the proposal will be accepted.

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The proposal goes so far as to require jockeys to live at Santa Anita. So, too, would assistant starters and a group of grooms who will handle horses being saddled for races.

The track raced five days from March 14-22 without spectators, and raced without owners being allowed to attend from March 20-22. During that time, the track operated with fewer employees than usual.

Santa Anita was closed by county health officials on March 27, less than an hour before the races were scheduled to start when racing was deemed a “non-essential” business.

Daily training has continued. Track officials have argued that far fewer people are needed to conduct racing on a daily basis than for training, and that racing provides a much-needed revenue stream to ensure ongoing care for horses and provide salaries for backstretch employees.

Without racing, there is no betting and no revenue from purses to offset costs for owners and trainers.

The track’s meeting is scheduled to end on June 21. The same county health officials that will determine whether the track can reopen recently extended the stay-at-home conditions for the county through at least May 15.

If racing does resume, trainers are hoping to be ready. There were 180 works on Friday and 129 on Saturday at Santa Anita.

Sharp Samurai, unraced since a second in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile last August, worked a half-mile in 49.60 seconds on Saturday. Understandably, trainer Mark Glatt does not have a race target for the 6-year-old gelding, who is owned by Red Baron’s Barn and Rancho Temescal.

Sharp Samurai has won 8 of 18 starts and earned $832,270. Glatt said turf stakes at sprint distances or a mile would be logical spots for Sharp Samurai.

If racing does resume soon at Santa Anita, track officials are expected to introduce a revamped stakes schedule. Through this Sunday, the track has lost 12 days of racing and 13 stakes, including the $1 million Santa Anita Derby, scheduled for April 4.

Law Abidin Citizen, who won the Grade 3 Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs last August, worked a half-mile in 49.40 seconds on Saturday. A 6-year-old gelding owned by Dan Agnew, Gerry Schneider and John Xitco, Law Abidin Citizen was fourth in the Grade 2 San Carlos Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita on March 7 in his only start this year.

This summer, Law Abidin Citizen could start again in the Longacres Mile at Emerald Downs on Aug. 9.

“We could do that again,” Glatt said. “It seems like an eternity away.”

Emerald Downs, near Seattle, was scheduled to open Saturday, but the meet has been postponed. Track officials told Seattle media earlier this month that the season could be extended into the autumn, if needed.

Glatt said trainers have been given no official guidance on what to expect at Santa Anita.

“Nothing at all, just a lot of opinions,” Glatt said. “It’s hard to plan on anything until we have some direction.”

When racing does resume, there are aspects of the sport that will be different. Glatt predicts that there will be fewer 2-year-old races in the spring and summer than in past years because some owners have kept juveniles away from Santa Anita until they have a better understanding of when racing will resume.

Glatt said most of the 2-year-olds in his stable had been sent to Santa Anita before racing ceased, and others remain at training centers.