Month: April 2021

Belmont Park Re-Opens To Limited Spectators On Saturday, May 1

Following the issuance of detailed racetrack health and safety protocols by New York State, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that Belmont Park will re-open to a limited number of spectators on Saturday, May 1.

In accordance with New York State requirements, spectators must purchase track admission in advance and adhere to strict health and safety protocols designed to mitigate the risk of COVID-19.

“NYRA has been working collectively toward this goal since the start of the pandemic and we are thrilled to be able to welcome fans back to Belmont Park,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke. “We thank our fans for their loyalty and support over this challenging year and look forward to the spring and summer ahead.”

In order to enter Belmont Park, in accordance with New York State requirements, all ticketed spectators must submit proof of a completed vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/New York State 14 days or more after receiving the second dose in a two-dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or 14 days or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson / Janssen).

Individuals who are not fully vaccinated must present a negative result from a COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72-hours of the event start time or a negative antigen test collected within six hours of the event start time.

Ticketed spectators may submit proof of completed vaccination by presenting the CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card or digitally through the New York State Excelsior Pass.

Ticketed spectators may submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test result by presenting a physical copy of the test result or digitally through the New York State Excelsior Pass.

NYRA encourages all ticketed spectators who have been vaccinated or tested in New York State to download the Excelsior Pass today, which can be found at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/excelsior-pass.

NYRA will adjust admission protocols accordingly should the CDC/New York State alter COVID-19 vaccination and/or testing requirements.

Daily tickets to Belmont Park will be available for $15 and will include track admission, a reserved seat in the Clubhouse, a pocket program and reserved parking. Assigned seating is mandatory and groups will be physically separated within all seating areas to ensure social distancing. On-site wagering will be available. During opening weekend, all ticketed spectators will receive a Daily Racing Form free of charge.

Following opening weekend, Belmont Park will be open to limited spectators on all live race days.

All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

There will be no walk-up ticket sales of any kind. In order to enter Belmont Park, tickets must be presented digitally via a mobile device through Ticketmaster.com or the NYRA Account Manager. For additional details, visit the NYRA digital ticket guide.

In accordance with New York State requirements, daily attendance is limited to 20 percent of seated capacity for outdoor areas.

In addition, all ticketed spectators must complete a health questionnaire and submit to a contactless temperature check prior to entering Belmont Park. The required health questionnaire will be emailed to ticketed spectators prior to the event date and must be completed within 12 hours of gates opening.

Facial coverings are mandatory at Belmont Park for all ticketed spectators and personnel at all times.

Saturday's stakes action at Belmont features a trio of graded events with the Grade 2, $200,000 Fort Marcy for older horses at nine furlongs on turf; the Grade 2, $200,000 Sheepshead Bay at 11 furlongs on turf for older fillies and mares; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Westchester at one mile on the main track for older horses. First post is 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

Gates at Belmont Park will open to the public at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Ticketed spectators can watch and wager on the 147th running of the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby from Churchill Downs following the conclusion of live racing at Belmont. Post time for the Kentucky Derby is slated for 6:57 p.m.

Food and beverage options will be available for purchase. During opening weekend, outside coolers are not permitted at Belmont Park. The Belmont Café is currently the site of a Northwell Heath vaccination center and is closed to the public.

Social distancing will be enforced throughout the property, including in the area surrounding the paddock and length of the apron.

For additional information on spectator protocols at Belmont Park, please visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/visit/plan-your-visit.

Ticketing information for the 2021 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival will be released in the near future.

The post Belmont Park Re-Opens To Limited Spectators On Saturday, May 1 appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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IFAR Conference Concludes With Optimism For Racehorse Aftercare

The 2021 IFAR Conference, held virtually this year for the first time, closed April 27 with praise for the progress that racing has made in the realm of aftercare while acknowledging that continued work is necessary to address animal welfare concerns. Tuesday's webinar was the last of four sessions that were held each Tuesday in April.

The final panel, “Aftercare for Racing Industry Participants: Owners, Breeders, and Trainers,” was moderated by media personality and aftercare advocate Francesca Cumani, who expertly led the discussion and provided rich insights based on her many years of training and handling horses.

Presenters were Dr. Mark Fisher, Kotare Bioethics Ltd, Wellington, New Zealand; Dr. Eliot Forbes, member, IFAR Steering Committee; Tom Reilly, chief executive officer, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse; and Dr. Christopher Riggs, director, Equine Welfare Research Foundation, and chief advisor, Veterinary Science, The Hong Kong Jockey Club.

Reilly talked about horse racing's respected status in Australia but that the industry is still subject to intense criticism, as evidenced by the fallout of a 2019 investigative journalism piece that showed former racehorses being treated inhumanely at an abattoir. The Thoroughbred Aftercare Welfare Working Group was established with the support of industry stakeholders following that video, and the group will soon be releasing recommendations for the industry.

Reilly warned that while “Racing is well-accepted in society, there is a small subset in parliament that is opposed to it. The animal welfare lobby has proved to be incredibly effective.”

Fisher discussed the complexity of the animal welfare debate and that different people view an animal's lived experience differently. He highlighted that perhaps the most important parts of animal welfare are enabling animals to be in their natural environment and ensuring that they are treated with dignity and respect.

Fisher cited that two ways of losing the animal welfare argument with the public are to be reactive rather than proactive and to shy away from building coalitions that include consumers and the public. Keys to public support are being transparent about welfare practices.

“Get your house in order and show it,” he said. “What sort of life do your animals have? How do we know? Can we trust you?”

Riggs' presentation focused on the “one last race syndrome” – to squeeze one more race into a horse before retirement – and the risks associated with that mentality. He also warned of the impact of legal therapeutic medications because they can create a false sense of security as to the state of a horse's joints and should be used judiciously. Riggs called for horsemen to consider all of these factors when contemplating that “one last start.”

Forbes spoke on the aftercare toolkit developed by IFAR, including supply- and demand-based strategies for promoting Thoroughbreds beyond the racetrack. He stressed that aftercare should be a priority for all stakeholders, and a comprehensive aftercare plan includes transition strategies, effective traceability measures, community engagement, advocacy of the Thoroughbred breed, and networking.

“We want to see aftercare structurally embedded in the racing business model of every country and in the heart of every racing participant,” said Forbes. “A caring industry will be a sustainable industry.”

Di Arbuthnot, chair of IFAR, closed the conference.

“We are delighted by the global reception to this year's IFAR Conference,” said Arbuthnot. “All of our speakers and moderators offered valuable insights to share with our audience, and we are thankful for their participation and commitment to aftercare.

“The wide range of viewers who tuned into each of IFAR's sessions indicates the interest from the Thoroughbred industry in prioritizing aftercare on a global scale, and the IFAR team is here to assist jurisdictions who wish to develop or enhance their programs.”

Recordings of all four sessions of the 2021 IFAR Conference can be viewed at internationalracehorseaftercare.com/help-resources/conference-resources/ifar-conference-2021/.

IFAR has previously been held in conjunction with the Asian Racing Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2020; the European & Mediterranean Horseracing Federation's General Assembly in Oslo, Norway, in May 2019; the Asian Racing Conference in Seoul, South Korea, in May 2018; and the Pan American Conference in Washington, D.C., in May 2017.

IFAR is an independent forum that recognizes geographical and industry differences among racing countries and is designed to enhance Thoroughbred aftercare worldwide. Working with the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities, IFAR will raise awareness of the importance of welfare for Thoroughbreds, improve education on lifetime care, and help increase demand for former racehorses in other equestrian sports. For more information on IFAR, click here.

The post IFAR Conference Concludes With Optimism For Racehorse Aftercare appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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