coronavirus | Horse Racing Free Tips

Woodbine Jockey Tests Positive For COVID-19; Live Racing Continues As Scheduled

The Woodbine Entertainment COVID-19 Health and Safety Committee confirmed today that an active jockey has tested positive for COVID-19.

Following Woodbine Entertainment's COVID-19 Prevention Protocols, the jockey will not be permitted to access Woodbine Racetrack for a minimum of 14 days while self-quarantining. At the conclusion of the 14-day self-quarantine, the jockey will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to being allowed to return to Woodbine Racetrack.

Since starting live Thoroughbred racing in early June, Woodbine Entertainment has established and enforced COVID-19 Prevention Protocols that include limiting access to the Woodbine Backstretch to essential personnel only, daily screening including temperature checks for those essential personnel accessing Woodbine property, mandatory wearing of face masks or face coverings, extensive disinfecting of commonly touched surfaces and common areas, the deployment of hand sanitizing stations throughout the property, including on the backstretch, and contacting tracing and other protocols to manage any suspected or confirmed COVID-19 exposure. Woodbine Entertainment's response and management of COVID-19 is captured in its Guide to Working and Racing Safely.

In following these established protocols, contact tracing has been performed and individuals who were in close contact with the jockey who tested positive are being notified. Those individuals, which includes one other jockey, will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 test prior to being permitted to return Woodbine Racetrack. Contact tracing also confirmed that the jockey who tested positive contracted COVID-19 outside of Woodbine Racetrack.

As part of regular COVID-19 Prevention Protocols, the jockey room, and other common areas, at Woodbine Racetrack received thorough electrostatic disinfection following the conclusion of racing on Saturday, November 14, the last day Woodbine Racetrack hosted live racing.

Considering the result of the contact tracing suggests exposure to the jockey who tested positive is limited, and with the confidence in the COVID-19 Prevention Protocols Woodbine Entertainment has established and enforced, and after reviewing with outside medical professionals, live racing will proceed today as scheduled.

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Laurel Park to Temporarily Close to Public

In response to current state COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the Maryland Jockey Club at Laurel Park will temporarily close to the public, effective Friday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. ET, but will continue to accommodate owners and other licensed horsemen who wish to attend the races.

Live racing will continue as scheduled Thursday through Sunday for the remaining days in November, and Thursday through Saturday in December with a special Sunday, Dec. 27 program. There will be no racing on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, Dec. 24 and 25.

All off-track betting venues will remain open.

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British Racing To Receive £40m in Aid

British Racing will receive up to £40-million in government loans as part of a £300-million Sport Winter Survival Package for sports hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eleven sports have been designated for the aid, with racing-which has taken place without spectators since its resumption after the nation’s first lockdown in June 1-second only in terms of the amount it will receive to rugby union, which gets £135-million.

The British Horseracing Authority tweeted on Thursday, “The BHA welcomes the announcement by [the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport] that up to £40m of loans will be made available for British racing. This recognises racing’s position as the UK’s second biggest spectator sport, the many livelihoods it supports and the financial peril faced across our industry. Working with racecourses and horsemen, the BHA put in a detailed submission to Government in October. This included an assessment of the economic impact of the absence of spectators for a further six months until the end of March.”

Sports minister Nigel Huddleston said: “Over the past few weeks we have worked tirelessly with sport governing bodies and clubs across the country to fully assess what support is needed, as a result of the decision to postpone the return of fans. We know the vast majority of sports–many of which operate on tight financial margins–have been making serious cost reductions, such as locking down grounds, taking up the furlough scheme for many staff and halting excess payments. Whilst the Government’s overall economic package has provided a significant buffer, it is absolutely right that we now intervene to protect entire sports, and the communities they support, as we navigate this pandemic.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden added, “Sports clubs are the beating hearts of their communities and this £300m boost will help them survive this difficult winter period. We promised to stand by sports when we had to postpone fans returning. We are doing just that by delivering another £300m on top of existing business support schemes.

“Britain is a sports powerhouse and this Government will do everything we can to help our precious sports and clubs make it through COVID.”

The final amounts each sports sector receives may still differ, with final decisions set to be made by an independent decision-making board and supported by Sport England.

Sport England chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said, “These are unprecedented times for our sector and those sports and leagues that rely so heavily on spectators for their income that have been especially impacted by the pandemic. The role they play in their local communities is vital and this package of support from Government will be hugely welcomed.

“Alongside our wider support for grassroots and community sport, Sport England is working very closely with Government colleagues on the design of this fund and we look forward to playing a key role in its successful and swift delivery.”

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Tampa to Allow Fans

Tampa Bay Downs, which has allowed on-track simulcast wagering since July 2 and Silks Poker Room play since mid-June, has formulated plans to permit spectators for its 2020-2021 Thoroughbred meeting, beginning opening day Nov. 25.

For the foreseeable future, fans will be required to wear masks both inside and outside the facility, unless they are eating or drinking. Temperatures will be taken of each person entering the building.

Various measures have been established to ensure social distancing, including: the creation of more outdoor, private spaces for small groups; a limited number of benches on the apron of the grandstand, with increased spacing; computer-generated, socially distanced grandstand seating; and a reduction in box seating, from eight to six seats per box.

Tampa Bay Downs has developed a website for fans to reserve seating that provides social distancing. The cost is $5 per seat and must be paid in advance.

Tampa Bay Downs has also implemented rules to protect jockeys. Riders, jockey room staff, starting gate personnel, etc., will undergo rapid COVID testing prior to their arrival, with twice-weekly testing from there on. No newcomers will be allowed without a negative test, and jockeys will be restricted to their designated areas on race days and required to leave the room following their last ride of the day.

Other elements of the track’s COVID-19 protocol include increasing the number of hand-sanitizing stations throughout the facility; ongoing cleaning and sterilizing of high-touch surfaces and areas; socially distanced markers on the floors; providing disinfecting wipes next to wagering machines, replay TVs and high-touch machines; and installing Plexiglas partitions between employees and customers at the Customer Service desk, program windows, concession stands and Gift Shop.

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