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Geroux Latest Jockey to Test Positive for COVID-19

Jockey Florent Geroux has joined a growing list of prominent jockeys who have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Geroux was scheduled to ride Wednesday at Canterbury Park and had to take a test before he would be allowed to ride there. He took the test Monday and came up positive.

“I don’t really have any symptoms,” Georux said. “I was a little bit tired Monday, but I had a long week last week. I didn’t have any shortness of breath or anything like that.”

In less than a week, jockeys Luis Saez, Martin Garcia, Victor Espinoza, Flavien Prat, Eduard Rojas Fernandez and now Geroux have tested positive.

Other than Geroux, the jockeys all rode at Los Alamitos and Saez, Garcia, Espinoza and Prat all rode at the Southern California track July 4.

Geroux does not know where and when he got the virus, but speculated that it might have happened Thursday at Keeneland when he dressed in the same room as Saez. Saez took a test Thursday, and when the results came back positive, the next day he was removed from all his mounts after the second race.

Geroux said he has returned home and has begun his quarantine period.

“I’m looking at the bright side of this,” he said. “It could be a lot worse. There are so many people in hospitals with this that are hooked up to respiratory machines.”

Geroux normally rides at Saratoga, but has decided to make Ellis Park his main base of operation for the remainder of the summer.

Saez and Geroux are two examples of riders who have crisscrossed the country of late only to wind up with the coronavirius, raising fears that traveling jockeys may be spreading the virus from track to track. Shortly before his positive test, Saez rode at Belmont, Los Alamitos, Indiana Grand and Keeneland. Prat rode at Del Mar Friday and at Keeneland Saturday. Geroux rode at Keeneland Friday, at Belmont Saturday and back at Keeneland on Sunday and was scheduled to fly out to Canterbury before returning to Ellis Friday.

Some tracks have put rules in place that only regular local jockeys can compete and there is a growing sentiment for more tracks to do the same. Geroux said the main problem with doing that would mean that it could prohibit out-of-town riders from coming in during the week of the GI Kentucky Derby.

“People are saying what about Saratoga, that Kentucky jocks or California jocks should not be allowed to go to Saratoga,” he said. “Maybe not, but what do you for Derby week? Should only the regular jockeys in Kentucky be allowed to ride? We welcomed everybody at Churchill [during the spring meet] and all the jockeys from New York came there to ride. At Keeneland last weekend, all the jockeys from New York came to ride their big horses at Keeneland and no one put a stop on that. So why shouldn’t Kentucky and California jockeys be able to ride in Saratoga? If they can’t, only the Kentucky colony should be allowed to ride Derby week.”

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Laytown Cancels 2020 Card

The Laytown Races Committee has cancelled the Sept. 1 Laytown race meeting at Laytown strand, Horse Racing Ireland announced on Tuesday. The decision was made due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and for public health and safety reasons. All customers that have already purchased tickets and other hospitality options will receive a full refund.

“Laytown Races is in a unique position as we race under temporary facilities and our racetrack on the beach is a fantastic amenity, open to the public,” said Laytown Races Chairman Joe Collins. “As the health and safety of Laytown and Bettystown residents, sponsors, racegoers, jockeys, trainers, stable staff and racecourse staff is our number one priority, the committee had too many concerns about how we could implement social distancing during racing, especially on the beach and in the village.

“After consultation with all the key stakeholders including the Gardai, Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Body, the committee reached the very difficult decision to cancel our 2020 race meeting, but we are already looking forward to welcoming everyone back to our 2021 race fixture.”

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TRF to Host BBQ at the Barn Fundraiser

The Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation (TRF) will host a re-imagined “TRF BBQ at the Barn” summer fundraiser on Tuesday, Aug. 11 from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Saratoga Winery.

This year’s BBQ will be carry-out with a twist. Guests will drive thru the grounds to enjoy a “TRF Experience” with miniature ponies, racing celebrities, goodies for the kids, and a special appearance by Joey, the TRF Herd Ambassador, who will be returning to Saratoga from the TRF Second Chances Program at Wallkill.

The event will feature food from Barnsider BBQ in Lake George; a TRF Specialty cocktail created by the Winery; and locally made pies from Mourningkill Bake Shop. Items will be individually ordered online for carryout. Proceeds from the event will benefit the hundreds of TRF horses in the organization’s national herd.

“We are thrilled to be able to welcome back the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation for their summer fundraiser this year,” Amy Greth, Event Director at The Saratoga Winery, said. “Last year’s BBQ was a great success for the foundation and we are honored they chose us to host again. It has been very exciting working with TRF over the past few months to come up with creative ways to keep the momentum going. We look forward to hosting this event to benefit retired racehorses.”

Tickets and donation options available by visiting the TRF website at https://www.trfinc.org/event/bbq-at-the-barn-2020/.

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NY Race Track Chaplaincy and Saratoga Community Come Together for Backstretch Families

Nick Caras, Programs Director of the NY Race Track Chaplaincy, Kim Weir, a Saratoga Volunteer Coordinator, and Mark Kehrer, Pastor of Revelation Church, have organized a small army of volunteers and sponsors from the Saratoga Springs community in recent weeks to improve housing conditions for backstretch families who have traveled to Saratoga for the duration of the meet.

For years, many of the stable workers have stayed at rudimentary cabins at the Pine Grove Family Camp on Pine Road in Saratoga Springs. Caras always wanted them to have something better.

“The sheets in their beds were even turned down, and each cabin was lovingly prepared,” Weir said.

In addition to the sparkling clean conditions, each family received some special gifts:
• The Saratoga Chamber of Commerce donated one box of masks and one bottle of hand sanitizer for each cabin
• Impressions of Saratoga donated one tote bag full of goodies to each cabin.
• Temple Sinai donated one loaf of Challah bread to each cabin

“To see so many different entities within the Saratoga community come together to help some families they don’t even know was really heartwarming,” Weir said. “It was really a group effort and it couldn’t have happened without the generous and widespread support we received.”

Among those who pitched in were: Impressions of Saratoga (owner Marianne Barker and daughter Maddy Zanetti); The Dominguez Family; Habitat for Humanity of Northern Saratoga, Warren, and Washington Counties; The Brown Family; The Brindle Family; The Lautenberg Family; Saratoga Springs Friends of Recreation; The Weir Family, The PNECC Social Concerns Committee, The Saratoga Immigration Coalition, Temple Sinai; and Friends of Spa City.

“I think this outpouring of support is just another example of the tight bond that exists between the good people of Saratoga and the Thoroughbred racing community,” Caras said.

“Champions Talk,” a virtual benefit for the organization featuring legendary racecaller Tom Durkin along with Hall of Fame jockeys Angel Cordero, Jr. and Ramón Dominguez, Terry Finley of West Point Thoroughbreds, trainer Dale Romans and Pro Football Hall of Fame and two-time Super Bowl winning coach and Thoroughbred owner Bill Parcells will premier on Facebook and YouTube Aug. 5 at 7 p.m.

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