Pandemic Leads To Declines In Keeneland’s On-Track Wagering, Field Size At Fall Meet

Keeneland concluded its Fall Meet on Saturday, showcasing racing's top equine and human athletes who competed in anticipation of the Breeders' Cup World Championships at the at the Lexington, Ky., track on Nov. 6-7 while continuing its philanthropic mission of supporting the Central Kentucky community and the Thoroughbred industry.

“On behalf of Keeneland, our sincerest thanks to our fans across the country and around the world, and our racing participants, sponsors, industry and community partners and employees who enabled us to hold a safe, competitive Fall Meet during these unprecedented times,” said Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason, who presided over his final race meet before his retirement on Dec. 31. “The silver lining of this pandemic has been the collaboration and creativity of various constituencies in their steadfast support of Thoroughbred racing and our philanthropic mission. There is a true spirit of coming together for the good of all.”

Though the Fall Meet was closed to the general public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fans enthusiastically wagered more than $148 million on the 17 days of racing from Oct. 2-24.

“We continue to be humbled by the tremendous support of our fans; their passion for Keeneland is inspiring,” Keeneland President-Elect Shannon Arvin said. “This track was created for people to enjoy the grounds and the thrill of racing in person. I know I speak for the entire Keeneland team and our horsemen when I say we can't wait to welcome our fans back to the track.”

All-sources wagering on live racing during the Fall Meet totaled $148,229,708, for an average daily handle of $8,719,395, down 7.5% from 2019. Last fall, all-sources wagering was a Keeneland record $160,207,916 for the 17-day Fall Meet.

Keeneland established a record Fall Meet Pick 5 handle of $868,303 on Fall Stars Saturday, Oct. 3, besting the previous record of $794,689 set on opening Saturday in 2019.

The Fall Meet was conducted with only a limited number of participants and essential personnel in attendance, resulting in total on-track handle of $2,477,890, for average daily on-track handle of $145,758. In comparison, on-track handle totaled $17,320,852 for the 2019 Fall Meet.

“Historically, Keeneland ranks among the top tracks in North America in terms of average daily attendance and enjoys some of the highest on-track handle figures,”Keeneland Vice President of Racing Bob Elliston said. “The difference in all-sources wagering this fall versus last comes down to the loss in on-track wagering.” 

Fall Meet racing highlights
Keeneland purses remained among the richest in North America this fall, averaging $682,324 per day. Average starters per race was 8.1 compared to 9.5 during the 2019 Fall Meet. Field size was impacted this fall by pandemic-related travel restrictions and limitations on horses shipping in from other major racing jurisdictions.

Ten horses secured berths in the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland with victories in Win & You're In stakes this fall. Among the Grade 1 victors were Darley Alcibiades winner Simply Ravishing (Juvenile Fillies-G1); Shadwell Turf Mile winner Ivar (BRZ) (Mile-G1); First Lady Presented by UK HealthCare winner Uni (GB) (Filly and Mare Turf-G1); Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Essential Quality (Juvenile-G1) and Juddmonte Spinster winner Valiance (Distaff-G1).

In other racing highlights:

  • Harvey's Lil Goil grabbed the lead at the top of the stretch and then held off challengers to win the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) Presented by Dixiana, the sixth Grade 1 event of the Fall Meet.
  • Stoll Keenon Ogden, Keeneland's only legal counsel since its founding in the 1930s, celebrated its 10-year milestone sponsorship of the Phoenix (G2), won by Diamond Oops. With the victory, Diamond Oops earned a berth in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1).
  • Aunt Pearl (IRE) took the lead at the break and cruised to a 2½-length victory in stakes-record time to win the JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G2) and win a fees-paid berth into the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1).

“We appreciate the strong support of our owners, trainers and jockeys; their desire to participate at the highest levels of racing is what makes Keeneland so special,” Elliston said. “We look forward to cheering on many of our Fall Meet contenders at the Breeders' Cup here in two weeks.”

Fall Meet leaders
The Fall Meet featured a battle for the title of leading trainer and leading owner, while Tyler Gaffalione was the clear winner for leading jockey honors.

The race for leading trainer among Brad Cox, Mike Maker and Steve Asmussen was decided on the final day.

Cox won two races on closing day to increase his total to 15 and earn his second title, joining Spring 2018. His wins during the season included the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity with Essential Quality and JPMorgan Chase Jessamine with Aunt Pearl (IRE), two horses expected to return in the Breeders' Cup. Cox also had a three-win day on Oct. 18.

Maker ranked second in the trainer standings with 12 wins, while Asmussen recorded 11 victories to finish third.

Among jockeys, Tyler Gaffalione won 24 races to secure his third leading rider title following Fall 2018 and Summer 2020. Gaffalione's victories included the Buffalo Trace Franklin County (G3) on Got Stormy, another Breeders' Cup hopeful.

Finishing second and third, respectively, in the standings were Florent Geroux (16 wins) and Ricardo Santana Jr. (13 wins). The two riders each recorded three-win days: Geroux on Oct. 18 and Santana on Oct. 16 and Oct. 22.

Luis Saez won five of the 10 Fall Stars Weekend stakes: the opening-day Darley Alcibiades with Simply Ravishing; Saturday's Claiborne Breeders' Futurity on Essential Quality and Woodford (G2) Presented by Keeneland Select with Leinster; and Sunday's Juddmonte Spinster with Valiance and Bourbon (G3) with Mutasaabeq.

Earning its first title as leading owner was Mike Sisk's M and M Racing, which won five races with eight starters. Robertino Diodoro trained the M and M horses, and David Cohen was aboard every winner. Together, the trio won three races on Oct. 9.

Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton's Silverton Hill won four races during the meet. Five owners notched three wins apiece: Asmussen, Mohammed Al Maktoum et al's Godolphin, Ken and Sarah Ramsey,  Kirk Wycoff's Three Diamonds Farm and Brad Kelley's Calumet Farm.

Nourish Lexington featured Fall Meet charity
Keeneland made it easy for fans no matter their location to watch and wager on the Fall Meet with Keeneland at Home Presented by UK HealthCare and Official Keeneland Watch Parties in Partnership with VisitLEX and the Bluegrass Hospitality Association.

Keeneland at Home fans and Keeneland Watch Party attendees had the opportunity to support Nourish Lexington, Keeneland's featured Fall Meet charity. By using the talents and resources of food service and hospitality employees displaced by the pandemic, Nourish Lexington has provided more than 160,000 scratch-made, nutritious meals for community members in need since April.

Partnerships with a philanthropic connection
True to its mission, Keeneland's commitment to support the community and the Thoroughbred industry remained unchanged as the track teamed with sponsors and racing-related partners to virtually conduct several popular Fall Meet special events and raise much-needed funds for worthwhile causes.

  • A virtual edition of Make-A-Wish Day on Oct. 8 marked the 13th year that local Thoroughbred farms and organizations joined Keeneland to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. This year, Keeneland and TVG along with Airdrie Stud, Ashford Stud, Flaxman Holdings, Gainesway, Godolphin, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Lane's End Farm, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital and Spendthrift Farm participated. Keeneland donated $10,000 to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
  • Keeneland teamed with UPS and City Barbecue to honor front-line health care workers, first responders, members of the military, teachers and others on Heroes Day, Oct. 18. Keeneland fans nominated deserving community heroes online. Three Central Kentuckians – Letitia Roark from Versailles, Laura Stark of Lexington and Thomas Shaddix from Stamping Ground – were selected as grand prize winners to receive a Keeneland Heroes Day at Home Tailgate from City Barbecue, $1,000 Visa gift card provided by UPS and other goodies. Twelve other nominees received $250 Visa gift cards provided by UPS.
  • College Scholarship Day went digital on Oct. 23, awarding more than $30,000 in scholarships and dozens of prizes to students in partnership with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and Coca-Cola.
  • Juddmonte, sponsor of the Juddmonte Spinster, and Keeneland made a combined donation of $10,000 to the Kentucky Equine Management Internship (KEMI) program, which provides hands-on internship opportunities for college students interested in careers in the horse industry. Many of the nearly 1,000 graduates of the KEMI program have found rewarding careers in diverse areas of the industry.
  • Keeneland sponsor Kentucky Utilities challenged Keeneland fans with a matching campaign to support God's Pantry and Nourish Lexington with a $7,500 commitment. To support this initiative, please visit https://godspantry.org/donate/keeneland/
  • With the help of its corporate partners, Keeneland thanked the hardworking community in the track's stable area on selected days during the Fall Meet with Nourish the Backstretch, an extension of Nourish Lexington. Participating partners include Anthem, Buffalo Trace, Claiborne Farm, Darley, Dixiana, Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, Juddmonte Farms, Lexus of Lexington, Pin Oak Stud, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, Shadwell Farm, Stoll Keenon Ogden PLLC, TVG and UK HealthCare.
  • Keeneland and Lexus of Lexington, sponsor of the Lexus Raven Run (G2), made a combined commitment of $5,000 to The MAP Foundation/Woodhill Community Center. Lexington Leadership Foundation (LLF) and The MAP Foundation have partnered to provide the children, teens and families involved in LLF's Urban Impact Initiative and throughout the Lexington community a place where they can realize their potential to grow, succeed and lead.

2020 Fall Meet at a Glance (Oct. 2-24)

  Fall 2020 Fall 2019
All-Sources Handle on Keeneland $148,229,708 $160,207,916
Avg. Daily All-Sources Handle on Keeneland $8,719,395 $9,423,995
Total On-Track Handle $2,477,890 $17,320,852
Avg. Daily On-Track Handle $145,758 $1,018,873
Total Attendance 15,351 262,630
Avg. Daily Attendance 903 15,449

The post Pandemic Leads To Declines In Keeneland’s On-Track Wagering, Field Size At Fall Meet appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Keeneland Announces COVID-19 Protocols For Jockeys, Riders To Arrive Sept. 29 To Ride At Fall Opener

Keeneland today announced procedures related to COVID-19 for jockeys who will ride during the 17-day Fall Meet from Oct. 2-24.

Jockey COVID-19 testing protocols are as follows:

  • Jockeys who plan to ride on opening day (Friday, Oct. 2) will be required to be in Lexington on Tuesday, Sept. 29 and receive a COVID-19 test at Keeneland.
  • Jockeys who plan to ride at Keeneland after opening day will need to provide a CDC gold standard RT-PCR COVID-19 nasopharyngeal test confirmed negative within 72 hours of the day of their first race.
  • A jockey who races at Keeneland and leaves Kentucky will be required to provide a CDC gold standard RT-PCR COVID-19 nasopharyngeal test confirmed negative within 72 hours of the day of the next race in which he or she plans to ride at Keeneland.
  • In addition to the main Jockeys Quarters, Keeneland will maintain five additional Jockeys Quarters that permit riders to be sequestered. These spaces will be organized around specific geographic areas where the jockeys customarily ride, including New York, California, other U.S. jurisdictions, international jurisdictions and overflow from the main Jockey Quarters for Kentucky-based riders.
  • Except for valets and the Clerk of Scales, no additional personnel will be permitted in any Jockeys Quarters.

General jockey protocols at Keeneland are as follows:

  • Practice social distancing at all times.
  • Wearing masks/face coverings is required at all times except when riding in a race or a timed workout in the morning. This includes when the rider is in the Jockeys Quarters, in the Paddock before a race, while being ponied to post and after the race when returning to the Jockeys Quarters.

o   Jockeys will be provided with face coverings.

o   Valets, assistant starters, outriders and pony people will be required to wear masks/face coverings throughout the day as will everyone who is on the grounds.

  • When visiting the Paddock before a race, jockeys are prohibited from making physical contact aside from a leg up from the trainer or a member of his or her staff.
  • Jockeys are prohibited from visiting barns in the Stable Area in the mornings. A rider will only be able to visit the apron area of the main track, the area outside the Racing Office by the gap or the Paddock. Visits to the Rice Road barn area also are off limits to jockeys.

o   If a jockey wishes to exercise a horse in the morning, he or she will need to meet that mount in the Paddock, exercise the horse then dismount upon exiting the track.

  • All jockeys will be able to ride with a +3 pound weight allowance because the sauna/steam will be closed.
  • Boxed lunches will be provided, but no a la carte options are available.

o   Jockeys and valets will be allowed to bring their own food items.

  • All Jockeys Quarters will be sanitized throughout the day and receive another deep cleaning each evening after the rooms are vacated. The products Keeneland is using to disinfect the entire facility is a combination including BioProtect, EvaClean/Puretabs and P&G's Spic and Span – all of which are EPA-registered.
  • Keeneland will do a deep sanitization of the starting gate before the Fall Meet using the aforementioned BioProtect product, which is a disinfectant and provides 90 days of long-term antimicrobial protection (to immediately kill any COVID-19 particles that come into contact with the starting gate). The same product will be used in the Jockeys Quarters for the utmost protection of all surfaces after they have been treated.
  • Jockeys are to enter Keeneland through Gate 2 on Versailles Road. They will use the track's South Gate entrance next to the Welcome Center to enter the grounds. Once entries are drawn, their names will be put on a list to be able to access the Keeneland grounds and facility. Once the overnight is released, Clerk of Scales Javier Torres will decide which Jockeys Quarters they will use.
  • Jockeys will undergo the same medical checks as everyone coming through the Keeneland gates. This will include a temperature check as well as medical screening questions.

The post Keeneland Announces COVID-19 Protocols For Jockeys, Riders To Arrive Sept. 29 To Ride At Fall Opener appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights