coronavirus | Horse Racing Free Tips

Letters to the Editor: Despite COVID, British Racing’s Success

There is much to be negative about with British racing but occasionally we should acknowledge and celebrate success. During this terrible year of Covid, racing’s rulers should be celebrated for what they have achieved and what has been saved.

Our great sport was back behind closed doors and handled the health implications effectively. The stud season took place with mares covered and the business uninterrupted.

The icing on the cake must surely be the remarkable resilience of the Tattersalls sales which ran in Newmarket on their original dates. To the best of our knowledge the December Sales ran without any outbreak of covid amongst the participants.

We should applaud Tattersalls for going the extra mile, the Maktoum family for their support, Government for recognising our importance as an international business as well as a great sport, but most of all our hard-working staff who kept the show on the road.

Well done ITV on spreading the message and pleasures of British Horse Racing. Let us hope that in 2021 the BHA can finally persuade Government that a properly funded industry can be for the benefit of all including bookmakers and the taxpayer.

Yours sincerely,

The Hon Peter Stanley & Simon Marsh
Manager, New England Stud General Manager, Watership Down & Kiltinan Castle Studs

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NYRA Announces Jockey Protocols for Aqueduct Winter Meet

The New York Racing Association released their COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys during the 2020/21 Aqueduct winter meet, which will open Thursday, Dec. 10 and run through Sunday, Mar. 28.

In order to mitigate risk and reduce the spread of COVID-19, Aqueduct will be closed to riders that are not regular members of the NYRA jockey colony as of Dec. 31. To account for NYRA’s 10-day holiday break from Dec. 21 through December 30, jockeys interested in being included in the regular NYRA jockey colony must contact NYRA for consideration by Dec. 31.

Members of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travel to ride at any other racetrack during the Aqueduct winter 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. All COVID-19 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. Jockey agents must produce a negative COVID-19 test in order to gain access to the barn area. Races will continue to be drawn via Zoom. Valets working in the jockey quarters are not permitted in the barn area.

Live racing during the Aqueduct winter meet will generally be conducted Thursday through Sunday until the end of February with the addition of special Monday cards Jan. 18 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Feb. 15 for Presidents’ Day. Live racing will be held Friday through Sunday through the month of March.

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Mike Smith Positive for COVID-19; Will Miss Weekend Mounts

Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to bypass this weekend’s stakes action at Los Alamitos, according to the DRF‘s Steve Andersen Friday.
“I don’t have any symptoms,” he told DRF. “I’ll have to wait a few days and test again. Hopefully, I’ll be back up for the following week. I’ll watch a little Netflix.”
Smith, whose positive was determined following a test at Santa Anita Friday, was scheduled to accompany Astute (Speightstown) in Saturday’s GI Starlet S. and Proud Emma (Include) in Sunday’s GIII Bayakoa S. He did not have any other mounts on the opening weekend of the Los Angeles County Fair meeting at Los Alamitos from Friday through Sunday.
In light of Smith’s forced defection, Flavien Prat will ride Astute, while Juan Hernandez has the mount on Proud Emma.

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All-Sources Handle Down for Abbreviated Woodbine Meet

All-sources handle was down more than $50 million at $462,041,545.76 compared to $516,189,419.44 in 2019 for Woodbine’s shortened 2020 Thoroughbred meet, which started late and concluded early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The meet ran 96 days with the start being pushed back from Apr. 18 to June 6 and the end date moved up from Dec. 13 to Nov. 22. The abbreviated meet resulted in 35 less race days and 305 less races.

“Like many businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted our business and the entire horse racing industry in Ontario,” said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. “However, I am very proud of how we responded and look forward to working with all of our stakeholders as we continue to manage the ongoing impacts caused by the pandemic.”

In Woodbine’s home market area, wagering on Woodbine Thoroughbred racing was $54,810,867.06, down 41% compared to last year. In 2019, Woodbine Racetrack contributed $28 million to the all-sources handle on Thoroughbred racing. This year, Woodbine Racetrack only contributed $124,000 to the overall handle due to being closed to the public for most of the year.

However, wagering on Woodbine Thoroughbred racing continued to be strong in foreign markets, generating $391,395,974.30 in all-sources handle, which is down less than 3%, despite running 27% fewer race cards. Handle per race was also strong at $509,417.36, up 19.6% year over year. Field size per race was 8.9, up from 8.2 the year prior.

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