August, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hurricane Forces Evacuation Of Delta Downs, Cancellation Of Racing At Evangeline

Expected to hit coastlines of Louisiana and Texas late Wednesday night, Hurricane Laura has forced the evacuation of Delta Downs in Vinton, La. and the cancellation of both workouts and racing at Evangeline Downs in Opelousas, La.

According to the Daily Racing Form, racing and training at Evangeline has been cancelled on both Wednesday and Thursday for precautionary measures.

***ALERT*** Due to Hurricane Laura, Delta Downs has ordered a mandatory evacuation from the property effective at 1 pm today, Tuesday, August 25. The track's OTB will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Further information will be posted when available.

— Delta Downs Racing (@deltaracing) August 25, 2020

There's a mandatory evacuation of all citizens in Vinton, said Chris Warren, Delta Downs' director of racing.

Limited Spectators to Return at English Racecourses in September

The Pertemps St Leger Festival at Doncaster is one of eight meetings that will be staged with crowds as part of stage five of the UK government’s plan to return spectators to elite sport, the Racecourse Association announced on Wednesday. Doncaster’s four-day Classic meeting from Sept. 9-12, a Sept. 21 Warwick fixture, and Newmarket’s Cambridgeshire Meeting from Sept. 24-26 have all been greenlit to allow racegoers in limited fashion. In Doncaster’s case, a maximum of 3,640 spectators will be allowed on the first day, increasing to 6,202 for the final three days. Each course submitted a detailed risk assessment and operating plan to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, with these courses selected to provide “a detailed case study for other racecourse to follow.” These experimental events with spectators will also test the operating protocols set out by the Sports Ground Safety Authority.

Racing halted in mid-March and resumed on June 1 without spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Owners were finally allowed back to UK racecourses since July 4, Derby Day at Epsom Downs. On-course bookmakers were also allowed back last week. There was an aborted attempt to allow spectators back at the Qatar Goodwood Festival.

David Armstrong, Chief Executive of the RCA, commented, “We are pleased to receive confirmation of our pilot events to welcome back crowds to racecourses and once again thank DCMS for entrusting the sport with this responsibility.

“Racecourses have been working for some time to this end and we are confident the events selected will provide strong case studies which will be of use to all.

“The disappointment of postponing our last confirmed pilot at Goodwood was felt across the sport, but the learnings and behind-the-scenes work have been of great value to others. Racing is ready to proceed in a safe manner and we are looking forward to once again welcoming crowds back to the racecourse.”

Mark Spincer, managing director of ARC’s racing division, said, “We are delighted that the government and local authorities have taken the decision to allow us to pilot the return of a crowd at Doncaster Racecourse.

“We were very proud to host the return of racing behind closed doors at Newcastle at the beginning of June and are grateful to the government for showing confidence in us to host this event.

“As with all sport and other live events, welcoming a crowd is absolutely fundamental to our business as well as being the heart and soul of the spectacle. The team at Doncaster have worked incredibly hard on making sure that we have all of the steps in place to welcome a limited number of spectators in a safe and efficient manner and we are really looking forward to welcoming people back on site to enjoy four excellent days of racing.

“The event is, of course, a pilot so the experience may be different than customers may have got used to in previous years, but we are putting everything in to making sure that our customers can have an enjoyable afternoon’s racing as well as offering valuable feedback to the process of allowing crowds back to sporting events more generally.

“The impact of the national lockdown has been immense on the racing industry, as it has been to all sports and live events businesses. Whilst we have been delighted to get back to work behind closed doors, our industry and many others rely massively on crowds, so to get this pilot event is a huge step in the right direction for all of us.”

Wales and Scotland will continue to race without spectators. The British Horseracing Authority and the Arena Racing Company are discussing the issue of spectators with the Welsh government and Scottish racing is also in talks with the Scottish government on the same matter.

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Oaklawn Announces 57-Day Meet With Four $1 Million Stakes Races

Pending approval from the Arkansas Racing Commission, Oaklawn plans to conduct its regular 57-day meet highlighted by four $1 million stakes races – $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2), $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1), $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and $1 million Apple Blossom Handicap (G1) – and the richest purse structure in its 117-year history. The 2021 season, which will be accentuated by the opening of a multi-purpose event center and a luxury 200-room hotel overlooking the track, is scheduled to run Friday, Jan. 22 – Saturday, May 1.

In addition, 21 stakes will have their purses raised by at least $25,000, most notably are $150,000 increases to both the Essex Handicap on March 13 and Oaklawn Mile on April 10, which will be worth $500,000 and $400,000, respectively. The purse of the Razorback Handicap (G3) on Saturday, Feb. 13 will be raised by $100,000 to $600,000. All stakes, including ones for state-breds, will be at least $150,000 each.

“We would not be able to once again offer record purses next year if it weren't for the tremendous support we've received from the Arkansas Racing Commission, the horsemen, and our fans in 2020,” Oaklawn President Louis Cella said. “We are excited to continue building on our 'New Level of Excellence,' which will include our new hotel, event center, state-of-the-art spa, and additional restaurants, which are all on schedule to open late 2020/early 2021.”

Oaklawn's rich 3-year-old program for horses with Kentucky Derby aspirations will begin opening day, Jan. 22, with the $150,000 Smarty Jones Stakes and will culminate closing day, May 1, with the $300,000 Oaklawn Invitational. In between are the $750,000 Southwest Stakes (G3) on Feb. 15, Presidents' Day Monday, the $1 million Rebel Stakes (G2) on March 13, and the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on April 10.

Oaklawn's five signature races that comprise the traditional Racing Festival of the South will be run over three Saturdays starting with the $600,000 Fantasy Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies on Kentucky Oaks (G1) trail on April 3.

The $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1), a major stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby, will be run on April 10 along with three other stakes. Oaklawn's series for older horses culminates on April 17 with the $1 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and the $1 million Apple Blossom (G1) for fillies and mares.

“Once finalized, the full purse program will be released soon,” added Oaklawn General Manager Wayne Smith. “We anticipate it will exceed $700,000 a day.”

Oaklawn's 2021 stakes schedule features a total of 33 races worth $11,000,000. Racing will be conducted Friday–Sunday for the first two weeks of the meet and then shift to a Thursday–Sunday schedule starting in February. There will be racing on Presidents Day – Monday, Feb. 15, but there will be no racing on Easter Sunday, April 4.

The post Oaklawn Announces 57-Day Meet With Four $1 Million Stakes Races appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Kentucky: Lasix, New Medication Rules Take Effect As Legislative Committee Declines Action

The Kentucky Legislature's Interim Joint Committee on Licensing, Occupations, and Administrative Regulations heard debate about the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission's new medication rules on Tuesday, the most controversial of which is the regulation prohibiting race-day Lasix in 2-year-olds this year.

According to bloodhorse.com, the committee declined to take action to stop the regulations, allowing the new rules to take effect immediately.

Tracks in Kentucky have implemented no-Lasix for 2-year-olds this year via house rule, but now the regulation is a part of the KHRC regulatory standard. Dr. Bruce Howard, KHRC equine medical director, told the committee that of 60 juvenile races with a total of 532 starters, only one horse had been observed or reported to have bled from the nostrils.

“Eighty-nine percent of the 2-year-olds showed no evidence of blood in their airways and only two out of the 47 scoped showed anything more than a trace of blood,” Dr. Howard said, referring to a week-long study at Keeneland during the summer meet.

The Lasix ban will extend to all graded stakes races in 2021.

Earlier this year, the Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association filed suit against the tracks that first implemented the new regulations. The suit is ongoing.

Additional rules included in the new KHRC regulations include: a pushback of non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) from 24 hours to 48 hours before post time, a rule against stacking NSAIDs, a pushback of intra-articular corticosteroids to 14 days prior to race day, a rule requiring trainers or owners to submit 14 days' worth of a horse's medical records to the commission prior to race day, elimination of bisphosphonates in racing and in horses younger than 4 years old, and a rule requiring a horse be examined by an attending veterinarian in addition to a commission veterinarian pre-race.