October, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

NYRA Releases Jockey Protocols for Aqueduct

NYRA released its COVID-19 protocols Saturday for jockeys riding at the Aqueduct fall meet, which runs from Nov. 6 to Dec. 6. Members of the Aqueduct jockey colony who travel to ride at any other racetrack during the fall meet will be required to provide two negative COVID-19 tests taken within a five-day window in order to return to ride at Aqueduct. Jockeys traveling out of state who have completed the required testing will then be physically isolated in the jockey quarters for three additional calendar days.

Jockeys not currently riding at NYRA who wish to join the Aqueduct jockey colony for the beginning of the Aqueduct fall meet must contact NYRA’s Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Martin Panza or Aqueduct Racing Secretary Keith Doleshel by Wednesday, Nov. 11. Newcomers to the NYRA jockey colony will be required to provide two negative COVID-19 tests taken within the five-day window preceding that jockey’s first mount at Aqueduct.

In order to mitigate risk and reduce the spread of COVID-19, Aqueduct will be closed to out-of-town jockeys not considered members of the regular NYRA jockey colony. All testing must be performed in New York state.

In addition to race day safety protocols which include standard health screening and temperature checks, the jockey quarters at Aqueduct have been substantially altered to provide maximum social distancing and reduce density. All areas accessed by jockeys during the regular course of a race day are closed to outside personnel, including credentialed media, and are cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.

Jockeys are not permitted access to the barn area at Belmont Park. In order to work a horse in the morning, the jockey must meet the horse in the paddock and may then proceed to the main track for as long as the main track remains open.

Jockey agents arriving from outside of New York must produce a negative COVID-19 test in order to gain access to the barn area at Belmont Park. Races will continue to be drawn via Zoom.

All valets must provide a negative COVID-19 test taken any time after Nov. 2 in order to access the jockey quarters on opening day, Nov. 6. Valets who choose to only saddle horses in the paddock and not enter the jockey quarters will be allowed in the Belmont Park barn area.

The post NYRA Releases Jockey Protocols for Aqueduct appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Kentucky Chamber Files Amicus Brief In Historical Horse Racing Case

The Kentucky Chamber of Commerce on Thursday submitted a brief of amicus curiae to the Kentucky Supreme Court in support of rehearing the case on historical horse racing.

“The Chamber takes this unusual step out of genuine concern that the Court may have abandoned long-standing doctrines of statutory construction, strayed from its usual adherence to precedent, and reached a conclusion that could be potentially devastating to the horse industry and thereby Kentucky's economy,” wrote Louisville-based attorney Virginia Hamilton Snell on behalf of the Kentucky Chamber in the motion for leave to file.

The Supreme Court issued an opinion in September stating that historical horse racing machines – which have created a major source of revenue for Kentucky's signature equine industry in recent years – did not meet the legal definition of pari-mutuel wagering and are thus prohibited by state law.

“The equine industry is not only a major economic driver responsible for thousands of Kentucky jobs, it's also part of our identity,” said Kentucky Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ashli Watts. “Introduction of historical horse racing has allowed the industry to thrive, creating more jobs and generating hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in the Commonwealth. To shut these machines down would be a major blow to a signature industry and result in more layoffs for Kentuckians in the midst of a global pandemic.”

Historical Horse Racing operators are expected to submit a petition for reconsideration in the coming days to the Supreme Court before a final ruling is issued.

Click here to view the full amicus brief

The post Kentucky Chamber Files Amicus Brief In Historical Horse Racing Case appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission Comes Out Against HISA

Citing lack of financial information outlined in its framework, the Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission (DTRC) unanimously voted Oct. 14 to oppose U.S. Senate Bill 4547, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act. The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version (HR 1754) Sept. 29 by a voice vote. The Delaware Harness Racing Commission (DHRC) has also come out in opposition of the pending legislation, claiming the bill is an “unnecessary burden that could be potentially harmful to the entire horseracing industry.”

According to a release, the DTHC claims that unknown costs will be “detrimental” to an industry where profit margins are slim to begin with and that the addition of an extra layer of governmental oversight will fuel an increase in costs.

The DTHC also says in its release that they believe that the governing body established by HISA would not necessarily include individuals with experience in Thoroughbred racing and the control of the drugs used in the business.

The DTHC points out that while they find the standardization of rules pertaining to drug use included in the new legislation to be “laudable,” they already follow the guidelines and standard testing rules of the Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI), rules that are adhered to by U.S. racing jurisdictions that account for 90% of the handle in the country.

The post Delaware Thoroughbred Racing Commission Comes Out Against HISA appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Solid Field of Nine Set for Twilight Derby

A field of nine, topped by 5-2 morning-line favorite Smooth Like Strait (Midnight Lute), will line up for Sunday’s GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

Smooth Like Strait, winner of Del Mar’s GIII Cecil B. DeMille S. last December and GIII La Jolla H. in August, raced three deep on a hot pace and understandably tired to fourth as the favorite in the GII American Turf S. at Churchill Downs last time Sept. 5. The Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred worked five furlongs in 1:00 (5/37) for trainer Michael McCarthy at Santa Anita Oct. 9.

Field Pass (Lemon Drop Kid), meanwhile, sat a dream trip back in fourth in the American Turf, and, after leading in the stretch, settled for third. The 2020 GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks and GIII Kentucky Utilities Transylvania S. winner ships in from Kentucky for Mike Maker.

Farmington Road (Quality Road), runner-up in the Oaklawn S. and fourth in the split-division GI Arkansas Derby this spring, switched to grass with an allowance win when last seen at Colonial July 29.

The highly regarded Express Train (Union Rags), a double-digit length maiden winner at Del Mar last summer, makes his turf debut for John Shirreffs. He was second as the favorite in a Santa Anita optional tagger last time Sept. 26.

The post Solid Field of Nine Set for Twilight Derby appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post