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Fasig-Tipton Announces COVID-19 Protocols For California Fall Yearling Sale

In advance of its upcoming California Fall Yearlings Sale at Los Alamitos, Fasig-Tipton has announced the following COVID-19 protocols will be in place in accordance with California regulations:

Screening measures, including temperature checks and health screening questions, will be in place to gain admittance to the sales grounds for all staff, participants and attendees;
Cloth face coverings are required in accordance with U.S. CDC recommendations;
Participants will not be allowed to congregate. At least six feet of distance must be maintained between people;
No indoor food service will be available;
Valet parking will not be available;
Increased cleaning and disinfection procedures will be implemented with regular sanitation of high touch surfaces at least every two hours;
Frequent hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is recommended for all attendees;

The health and safety of sale participants is of paramount importance. These guidelines are intended as a supplement to assist with safe operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and are subject to change.

The California Fall Yearling Sale will be held on Monday, Oct. 19, at Los Alamitos Race Course in Cypress, Calif.

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IFHA: COVID-19 Has Demanded Creativity, Yielded Innovation For Racing Broadcasters

The second of four digital panels of the 54th International Conference of Horseracing Authorities was released last week and focused on the evolution of racing media in the time of COVID-19

The conference, organized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA), normally takes place in person in Paris the day after the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe. This year's conference program focuses on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the international racing world. In this digital panel, broadcast media members were asked about the way their outlets have adapted to a socially distanced racetrack.

A few takeaways from the panel of media experts:

In Britain, viewership that would normally spike for main events and decrease for more pedestrian race days in between has remained more consistent throughout the past months, according to ITV's Francesca Cumani. It's hard to tell what this may mean, but Cumani hopes it's a sign fans are becoming more engaged with racing as they've had more time to devote to watching a horse prepare for a classic run.
In Japan, Japan Racing Association's Shigeru Suzuki said the country has seen a drastic increase in new account sign-ups for online wagering platforms. The number of registrants increased by 250,000 compared to pre-pandemic numbers, bringing the total to 4.7 million users. Suzuki also said the Green Channel, normally a pay-per-view way to watch the races at home, has been made available free of charge (though the online app is still paid). Total turnover in Japan year over year is similar to 2019 despite the lack of fan access during COVID-19.

Rob Hyland of NBC Sports said that although the disappearance of fans from the racetracks took away some of the magic from big races like the Kentucky Derby, the channel did its best to expand its use of technology to bring the fan experience to viewers at home. Capturing ambient sound became a bigger priority, now that conversations between riders and the sounds of horses galloping could be heard without background noise. More jockeys at this year's major races were wearing microphones and cameras. These extra points of access enabled remote analysis from anchors who were covering the race from out of state. The restrictions on media attendance also forced NBC to be more efficient — NBC's crew is normally over 300 for the Kentucky Derby, while this year it was less than 100.
In some ways, the silence at racetracks enhances the experience — Jason Richardson of Channel 7 and Racing.com recalled a moment when a jockey got a first Group 1 victory at Royal Randwick. Because there were no crowds shouting at the wire, Richardson was able to hear a group of jockeys behind the winner cheer for their colleague as the race finished.
In Australia, Channel 7 has brought the experience of celebrating owners to its viewers by asking ownership groups to film themselves watching the races or providing recordings of Zoom parties they use to virtually gather and watch races. Their energy doesn't translate exactly the same way, but still elevates the production, according to Richardson.
Cumani said that as racing has returned in Britain, broadcasters have had to be mindful of public perception when sending out images from the track. As happy as racing media were to be back, they had to be sensitive to the fact that daily life in the country remained disrupted.
“In England I think there's a big danger that racing is is seen as an elitist endeavor, and why should racing continue when other things can't?” she said.

Katherine Ford of Equidia and Sky Sports Racing echoed those sentiments from her viewpoint in France, agreeing that camera operators had to be careful not to inadvertently film someone who had pulled down their mask temporarily for a cigarette or a drink, lest viewers think racing personnel or racegoers were not masking properly. Hyland agreed, citing camera framing choices on Kentucky Oaks Day for some presenters whose backdrops were chosen so that the physical distancing between themselves and others would be clear to viewers.
Hyland recalled preparing for this year's Kentucky Derby weekend, when he tried to have more racing participants than usual wearing microphones for ambient sound. Trainer Bob Baffert, who Hyland characterizes as a bit superstitious, declined to wear one on Oaks Day since he felt confident about his chances with Gamine, worrying it would jinx him. He did agree to wear one for the Derby, where he felt less confident in his contenders. Of course, that meant NBC ended up with audio of his emotional reaction during Authentic's run.

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Maryland Jockey Club Announces Re-Opening Protocols For Patrons At Laurel Park

Laurel Park will reopen Thursday, Oct. 15, to a limited number of patrons after having received the go-ahead from Anne Arundel County government.

The county's approval came after Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a revised executive order allowing racetracks to accommodate up to 250 “spectators,” a number that doesn't include the licensed personnel who have had access in order to conduct live racing programs or licensed owners. Laurel Park reopened for racing May 30 after a two-and-a-half-month shutdown because of COVID-19 restrictions, and soon after permitted licensed owners to view races from the apron.

In a letter to the Anne Arundel County Health Department, MJC President Sal Sinatra noted that Laurel and Pimlico Race Course have conducted live racing “under strict protocols to ensure the safety of all participants in racing—jockeys, stewards, owners, trainers, horsemen, backstretch workers, support staff and others” with success. The MJC also submitted a list of protocols for the return of patrons to Laurel.

The grandstand entrance at Laurel Park, which is equipped with a thermal camera for temperature screening, will be the primary entrance for employees, patrons and owners each day. The Horsemen's entrance near the Racing Office and paddock will be staffed only on live racing days beginning at 8 a.m. for trainers, jockeys and backstretch personnel that require access.

Food and beverage service will offered in the concession area in the food court in the first-floor grandstand from 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m. subject to discretion of management. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the SportsBook Bar on the second floor of the grandstand will be open with the option to purchase food and beverage prepared in the food court.

Laurel Park will be open five days a week, with Mondays and Tuesdays dark for simulcasting until otherwise noted. Racing is currently held four days a week on a Thursday-through-Sunday schedule. Simulcasting will be available on Wednesdays in the grandstand Silks simulcast area.

Facial coverings will be required for all guests and employees. Furniture will be rearranged to accommodate social distancing, and physical barriers have been installed where person-to-person interactions will occur. There will be increased sanitization measures and disinfection of all commonly-touched areas such as self-service betting machines.

The first floor of the clubhouse will continue to be used to accommodate jockeys and valets and will not be open to the public.

The information window in the Silks simulcast area in the grandstand will be open Thursday through Sunday. On Wednesdays, check-cashing will be handled through the Guest Services booth in the Silks simulcast area.

The following is information specific to owners and trainers:

Owners will be allowed access to the apron from the clubhouse fence line to the apron tent, which will be exclusive to owners.
Owners will be allowed to watch from the paddock area but will not have access to inside the paddock.
Owners on the grandstand side who wish to visit the paddock area must leave the building through the grandstand exit and walk or drive to the Horsemen's paddock entrance near the Racing Office. They can return to the grandstand through the primary grandstand entrance only. The walkway along the racing surface from the paddock to winner's circle will not be available to owners.
Winners' photos will continue to be taken on the racetrack.
Trainers who enter the grandstand and need to travel to the paddock for saddling must exit the building via the grandstand entrance and walk or drive to the paddock, and return to the building through the grandstand entrance. The walkway along the racetrack will not be accessible.
Owners and trainers will have limited access to the horsemen's boxes on the second floor and can access the area via the clubhouse staircase closest to the grandstand simulcast area. The pathway will be partitioned with privacy curtains.
The valet parking lot will be reserved for horsemen only live racing days. Horsemen overflow parking will be available in the adjacent lot generally used for paid parking.

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Gulfstream Making Plans For Fans To Attend At 50-Percent Capacity During Championship Meet

Racing fans will be able to attend the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park, according to the Thoroughbred Daily News. The South Florida track will allow fans at up to 50 percent capacity beginning on Dec. 2; Gulfstream shut down to all spectators in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but owners and invited guests have been allowed to attend the races under strict protocols since June.

“This thing is not going away anytime soon and we will do everything we can to keep people protected,” said Bill Badgett, the executive director of Florida racing operations for The Stronach Group. “The box area will be open and some grandstand seating, with social distancing, will be available. That way we can delegate certain sections and areas that we can control.”

Fan protocols have not yet been finalized, but are likely to include temperature checks and mandatory masks.

Read more at the Thoroughbred Daily News.

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