covid-19 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Equine Aftercare Feeling Financial Impact After Event Cancellations

Equine aftercare nonprofits are poised to take a hit financially from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, even though horses in their care have been adopted out in record numbers. A plethora of fundraising events for aftercare organizations have been moved online or cancelled completely as health mandates have limited the number of people who can gather.

Multiple Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA)-accredited organizations have had to cancel events and their staff are concerned about how they will make up for the lost revenue. In addition, many donors are also experiencing financial constraints and may be reluctant to give at the levels they previously have. Organizations that offer grants to equine aftercare entities are also feeling the pinch of limited donations, reports Blood-Horse.

Second Stride, a Kentucky-based Thoroughbred rehoming organization, was unable to host their annual pre-Derby party in the spring and they have opted to not hold the in-person party in September, either, as safety protocols keep shifting. The organization now plans to host a virtual event around the Derby that offers a handicapping panel and an online auction.

Win Place Home, a California-based nonprofit, cancelled their spring event, which typically brings in about one-quarter of their yearly revenue. To make up for some of the lost revenue, Win Place Home will offer a week-long silent auction with videos featuring adoptable horses and special guests.

The amount of money nonprofits raise through fundraisers and events is part of what dictates the number of horses each organization can assist. With donations down, organizations may not be able to help as many horses. Surprisingly, aftercare organizations across the country have experienced adoption booms during the pandemic, and not in horses with unlimited second-career potential. Family horses, trail horses and those with limiting injuries were also adopted out in droves.

Interestingly, there has not been an uptick in the number of horses being retired from racing—yet. Though it's unclear what the future holds for equine aftercare, it will hopefully include more donations.

Keeneland To Require Negative COVID-19 Test Proof Upon Arrival At September Sale

Following is an open letter to the industry from Shannon Arvin, Keeneland's president-elect:

To our customers:

First, I'd like to thank everyone who has been so kind and welcoming as I transition into my new role with Keeneland. This is both a privilege and a responsibility that I do not take lightly, and I very much look forward to working alongside our team to support your needs as we move into the fall season and into the future.

Over the course of the summer, the Keeneland team has been working diligently on the operational plans for the Keeneland September Yearling Sale. From expanding our bidding opportunities to building our safety protocols, we are leveraging the full resources of the Keeneland team to deliver for our customers.

While Keeneland is excited to unveil our full portfolio of remote bidding options, we continue to work closely with state and federal government officials, including representatives of both Senator Mitch McConnell and Congressmen Andy Barr, to seek exceptions to allow international travelers to attend the September Sale. Just as we have done for 80+ years, Keeneland will exhaust every measure possible to bring the world to Keeneland.

Keeneland September COVID-19 Testing:

We have also received a number of questions regarding COVID-19 testing during the September Sale. We will be communicating final plans very soon, and are working in concert with health and government officials as well as Fasig-Tipton to deliver consistent and reliable protocols and testing. Keeneland's continued commitment to safety and our compliance with the Governor's Healthy at Work standards allow us the opportunity to operate our auctions and race meets. It is for this reason that we will require proof of a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival at the sale (which will need to have been completed within the last five days). If a participant does not have proof of a negative test, we have made arrangements for onsite testing at Keeneland. As we have all experienced, information available with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic changes frequently, and we may need to update and amend our protocols accordingly.

Keeneland Remote Bidding/Inspection Opportunities:

Whether you wish to attend in person or you find yourself unable to travel, Keeneland is providing our customers a number of ways to prepare and participate in the September Sale remotely. We strongly encourage buyers to familiarize themselves with these tools and take a few minutes to set up your account and establish credit within the Keeneland Sales Portal.

Online Bidding: This service will fully integrate with the live auction environment, providing live video with enhanced speed that allows for a real-time bidding experience as the sale is occurring.
Phone Bidding: Keeneland has expanded its existing phone bidding program to accommodate for expected increased demand in 2020.
Walking Videos: Keeneland's online catalog will offer the capability to showcase walking videos for any yearling selling in the September Sale, allowing buyers to access and view virtual inspections from anywhere.

The health and safety of our customers is our top priority. With that goal, Keeneland also has expanded our on-site bidding options to provide additional bidding locations beyond the sales arena and back ring to allow for further social distancing. We look forward to sharing these details with you in the coming weeks.

Before closing, and with a heavy heart, we acknowledge the passing of our own Katherine McKee on Monday. As previous manager of Keeneland's Horsemen Hospitality and most recent director of racing administration, Katherine has been a part of the Keeneland journey alongside many of you. We will always cherish the legacy of her dedication and love for horsemen and her Keeneland family. Although she battled advanced melanoma for nearly three years, many of you may have been unaware as Katherine's positive attitude, dignity and grace never wavered. She was an amazing person and friend and will be tremendously missed by all of us.

Sincerely,

Shannon B. Arvin

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Remington: 2020 Stakes Schedule To See Purse Reduction Of $820,000

The 2020 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season is set to begin a 67-date run on Friday, Aug. 21. The 32-race stakes schedule will also start on opening night with the $75,000 Governor's Cup, for older runners at 1-1/8 miles, serving as the feature.

The total purse money for the stakes schedule is $2,880,000, a reduction of $820,000 from the 2019 stakes. The lower structure is due to two-months of inactivity from mid-March to late-May this spring when Remington Park halted simulcast racing and casino gaming for health and safety measures at the height of Covid-19.

Remington Park's lone graded events top the billing for Oklahoma Derby Day on Sunday, Sept. 27. The Grade 3, $200,000 Oklahoma Derby and the Grade 3, $100,000 Remington Park Oaks head the lineup of eight stakes races on one of just two Sunday afternoon programs this season. Won in 2019 by Owendale, the Oklahoma Derby shares richest race honors at Remington Park. The Springboard Mile, the track's top event for 2-year-olds, also carries a $200,000 purse.

The marquee night for state-breds falls on Friday, Oct. 16 with the annual Oklahoma Classics. The series of divisional stakes races, worth more than $1,000,000, for Oklahoma-breds has been contested every year since 1993. The $175,000 Classics Cup tops the night and for the first time since 2016 will be won by a horse not named Shotgun Kowboy. A record-holding four-time winner of the Cup, millionaire Shotgun Kowboy has been retired to the farm of his breeder-owner-trainer, C.R. Trout, in Edmond, Okla.

The Springboard Mile leads a loaded afternoon of stakes racing on the final day of the season, Sunday, Dec. 20. The Springboard carries valuable qualifying points for the 2021 Kentucky Derby and has drawn quality fields, sending runners into the two most recent “Runs for the Roses” in 2018 (Combatant) and 2019 (Long Range Toddy).

The Remington Park turf course will be ready for action from opening night into November. There are seven stakes races slated over the grass with the $60,000 Remington Green and the $60,000 Ricks Memorial as the top open stakes races, both on the undercard on Oklahoma Derby Day. A pair of events on Oklahoma Classics night share the honors for richest turf stakes this season with the OKC Turf Classic and the Classics Distaff Turf both checking in at $130,000.

A total of 16 stakes are slated for Oklahoma-bred runners, beginning with a trio of events for state-breds over turf on Friday, Sept. 25. The Red Earth Stakes, the Bob Barry Memorial and the Remington Park Turf Sprint, all worth $70,000, start the run for Oklahoma-breds. The Jim Thorpe Stakes and Useeit Stakes, also worth $70,000, wrap up the state-bred stakes on the Springboard Mile undercard, Dec. 20.

Following is the complete 2020 Remington Park Thoroughbred Season Stakes Schedule. Races for eligible Oklahoma-breds are denoted by (OK).

Aug. 21: $75,000 Governor's Cup, 3 and older, 1-1/8 miles
Sep. 11: $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, 3-year-old colts/geldings, 7 furlongs
Sep. 11: $50,000 Oklahoma Stallion Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs
Sep. 25: $70,000 Remington Park Turf Sprint, 3 and older, 5 furlongs (OK)
Sep. 25: $70,000 Red Earth Stakes, 3-year-olds and up, 7-1/2 furlongs (OK) (turf)
Sep. 25: $70,000 Bob Barry Memorial, fillies/mares, 3 and older, 7-1/2 furlongs (OK) (turf)
Sep. 27: $200,000 Grade 3, Oklahoma Derby, 3-year-olds, 1-1/8 miles
Sep. 27: $100,000 Grade 3, Remington Park Oaks, 3-year-old fillies, 1-1/16 miles
Sep. 27: $60,000 David Vance Sprint, 3 and older, 6 furlongs
Sep. 27: $60,000 Remington Green Stakes, 3 and older, 1-1/8 miles (turf)
Sep. 27: $60,000 Kip Deville Stakes, 2-year-olds, 6 furlongs
Sep. 27: $60,000 Ricks Memorial Stakes, fillies/mares, 3 and older, 1-1/16 miles (turf)
Sep. 27: $50,000 E.L. Gaylord Memorial Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 6-1/2 furlongs
Sep. 27: $50,000 Flashy Lady Stakes, fillies/mares, 3 and older, 6 furlongs
Oct. 16: $175,000 Oklahoma Classics Cup, 3 and older, 1-1/16 miles (OK)
Oct. 16: $145,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff, fillies/mares, 1 mile-70 yards (OK)
Oct. 16: $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Sprint, 3 and older, 6 furlongs (OK)
Oct. 16: $130,000 OKC Turf Classic, 3 and older, 1-1/16 miles (turf) (OK)
Oct. 16: $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Turf, fillies/mares, 3 and older, 1-1/16 miles (OK)
Oct. 16: $130,000 Oklahoma Classics Distaff Sprint, fillies/mares, 3 and older, 6 furlongs (OK)
Oct. 16: $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Juvenile, 2-year-old colts/geldings, 6 furlongs (OK)
Oct. 16: $100,000 Oklahoma Classics Lassie, 2-year-old fillies, 6 furlongs (OK)
Oct. 30: $60,000 Clever Trevor Stakes, 2-year-olds, 7 furlongs
Nov. 13: $75,000 Don McNeill Stakes, 2-year-olds, 1 mile (OK)
Nov. 13: $75,000 Slide Show Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile (OK)
Nov. 13: $70,000 Silver Goblin Stakes, 3 and older, 6 furlongs (OK)
Dec. 20: $200,000 Springboard Mile, 2-year-olds, 1 mile
Dec. 20: $75,000 She's All In Stakes, fillies/mares, 3 and older, 1 mile-70 yards
Dec. 20: $60,000 Trapeze Stakes, 2-year-old fillies, 1 mile
Dec. 20: $60,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial, 3 and older, 1 mile-70 yards
Dec. 20: $70,000 Jim Thorpe Stakes, 3-year-olds, 1 mile (OK)
Dec. 20: $70,000 Useeit Stakes, 3-year-old fillies, 1 mile (OK)

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Grants Pass Downs Reports Significant Handle Increase; Over $2.2 Million Wagered On Summer Meet

Grants Pass Downs, Oregon's premier horse racing track, concluded its second commercial meet on July 8, following a four-week run of Tuesday and Wednesday racing. The summer meet, which began June 16, carded 78 races over nine dates and handled a total of $2,235,303, nearly quadruple the total amount from last year's non-commercial summer meet. The meet saw a dramatic jump in online and off-track betting, with nearly 94 percent of the meet's handle being driven by off-site betting – representing an astounding 859 percent increase from last summer's meet.

The horsemen and horsewomen received $619,511 in purse money on the season at an average of $68,835 per race day and $7,942 per race. Compared to summer 2019, average race day purses saw an increase of $38,863 – up 130 percent. Additionally, the track's field size jumped to an average 7.94 horses per race over last summer's 5.34 horses per race.

“This record-breaking meet shows that racing is alive and well in spite of COVID-19, and our success is a testament to the hard work put in by track staff, operations and facilities teams and the wonderful community of horsemen and women whose efforts made the meet possible,” said Randy Evers, President of Grants Pass Downs. “We are proud to be one of the few live sporting events on television while supporting the local Grants Pass economy.”

Once again, the meet's leading jockey was Kassie Guglielmino with 14 wins in 58 starts. Guglielmino, who also finished the 2019 fall commercial meet as Grants Pass Downs' top jockey, was followed by Taylor E. Smith (11 wins in 50 starts). Jorge Rosales was the meet's leading trainer with 12 wins and ten second place finishes in 37 starts, and Marjorie Avery finished atop the owner rankings with five wins and six second place finishes in 16 starts.

The meet's record handles were achieved despite limited crowd sizes. In response to the pandemic, Grants Pass Downs complied with the Governor's order to limit the number of nonessential people on site at 250 on racing days during the summer meet. It also made significant operational changes to align with guidance from the CDC and Oregon public health officials to ensure the safety of staff, participating horsemen, athletes, and stakeholders. Dates for the upcoming fall race meet will be announced soon.

For questions about meet details, terms, training schedules, or fees and regulations, please visit https://gpdowns.com/.

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