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Meadowlands Reopening To Fans At 25 Percent Capacity On July 2

The Meadowlands Racetrack will re-open its doors to fans this Thursday, July 2 when onsite simulcasting and sports wagering is allowed to resume in New Jersey. Per the Executive Order 157, the grandstand will open to 25% capacity. The Backyard and Apron areas will also be open.

All guests will be required to wear a face covering, have their temperature checked and complete a brief health questionnaire. No one with a temperature exceeding 100.4 will be allowed to enter. All guests will be required to enter via the simulcast entrance and valet parking will not be available at this time.

Dining will also resume on Friday and Saturday nights for live racing (7:15 pm post). Trotters will be open to horse owners and members and the West Deck will be open for all other reservations. Reservations are required and dining must be prepaid. Reservations can be made by calling Marianne Rotella at 201-842-5059 or emailing mrotella@playmeadowlands.com.

The Backyard BBQ & Grill along with the Rooftop Terrace will also be open weather permitting.

Further details regarding the re-opening will be posted on PlayMeadowlands.com

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Keeneland At Home: Unique Opportunity For Fans To Watch, Wager On Summer Meet

Keeneland has announced Keeneland at Home Presented by Central Bank, which offers a variety of creative and fun ways for fans to remotely enjoy Keeneland's five-day Summer Meet, to be held July 8-12. The season, which accommodates a portion of the 16-day Spring Meet that Keeneland was forced to cancel due to the COVID-19 outbreak, will be held without fans.

“Fans flock to Keeneland during our race meets, and we will miss seeing thousands of faces in the stands for the Summer Meet, but we look forward to delivering their favorite race-day traditions so they can hold watch parties at home and enjoy Keeneland,” Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said. “From recipes for Keeneland's favorite foods and drinks such as Maker's Mark Bread Pudding, Keeneland Burgoo and the Keeneland Breeze to details about our daily programming and wagering opportunities, Keeneland has curated a selection of ways to safely enjoy the races at home.”

New to the race-day broadcast lineup for the Summer Meet is “Keeneland at Home Presented by Central Bank,” a 30-minute “pre-game show” on Facebook Live, YouTube and Periscope at 12:15 p.m. ET. Hosted by Christina Blacker, the program will feature a number of race-day experiences to kick off your at-home watch party, including lessons in BETology, libations prepared by Maker's Mark, handicapping picks from Equibase's Ellis Starr and more.

“Central Bank is excited to be involved with Keeneland at Home, a unique opportunity to make everything we love about Keeneland accessible to people regardless of where they are so they can experience the Summer Meet at home,” Central Bank Chairman, President and CEO Luther Deaton Jr. said. “This program is the latest chapter in Central Bank's long-standing relationship with Keeneland, which, of course, includes sponsorship of the historic Ashland (G1) for 3-year-old fillies. When the Ashland was moved from April 4 to July 11 during the Summer Meet, Central Bank's presentation of Keeneland at Home became a natural partnership.”

Keeneland at Home kits available from The Keeneland Shop

To help fans create the Keeneland experience for their in-home watch parties, The Keeneland Shop is offering a selection of Keeneland at Home Kits that fans are able to craft to suit their taste and style. Kits, which include branded drinkware, apparel and accessories, are available in Pick 2, Pick 3 and Pick 4 bundles via The Keeneland Shop online store. Fans are encouraged to place their orders before the July 8 opening day to be able to enjoy the kits during all five days of racing.

Purchases of Keeneland at Home kits over $35 made through July 12 will come with a commemorative Summer Meet print by Kayla Weber, a bag of Keeneland's Brown Butter Popcorn and a set of Keeneland saddle towel yard flags.

TV Coverage Focuses on Handicapping

During the Summer Meet, races will begin each day at 1:05 p.m. ET, and TVG will present live, on-site coverage of all the day's racing starting at 1 p.m. Meanwhile, Keeneland has expanded its offerings to enable fans to access live racing coverage through new channels at home.

In addition to the live stream on Keeneland.com and KeenelandSelect.com, fans may stream the entire card on Facebook Live and YouTube beginning at 12:55 p.m. daily. Keeneland also has enhanced its viewing experience on its popular Race Day mobile app with new video features that allow users to watch live coverage while navigating throughout the app.

Race-day programming will begin at 11:30 a.m. with “Today at Keeneland,” a 30-minute preview show with handicapping picks and discussion of horses of interest. Racing analysts Gabby Gaudet and Scott Hazelton host “Today at Keeneland,” which airs live on TVG2, The CW Lexington and WKYT.com and is streamed live on Keeneland.com, KeenelandSelect.com and Facebook Live. Fans will also have the opportunity to tune in to a live Winner's Circle Camera Presented by Coolmore.

Wager via Keeneland Select; Download Free Programs at Keeneland.com

During the Summer Meet, Keeneland will offer complimentary race-day programs, which can be downloaded at Keeneland.com or through the Keeneland Race Day app.

Fans may wager on the Summer Meet by signing up for an account with Keeneland Select, Keeneland's online wagering platform. Keeneland Select will offer a special bonus for new sign-ups: wager $100 on the Summer Meet and receive $50 back. This is on top of Keeneland Select's lucrative sign-up bonus, which will earn a player $100 after he or she wagers $300 within the first 30 days.

In addition, Red Mile will conduct drive-thru wagering during the Summer Meet from 8 a.m. until the final post at Keeneland.

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Ellis Park 2020: No General Admission, But Reserved Seating Available To Fans

Tickets for reserved seating for the RUNHAPPY Summer Meet at Ellis Park to be held from July 2 to Aug. 30 are now on sale.

Seats, which will be required for admission, can be purchased through Ellisparkracing.com.

Following the directive from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's office, racetracks may begin having spectators on June 29 with up to 50 percent capacity. Ellis Park's 98th summer session begins Thursday, with racing through Sunday July 5 before taking a week off to allow Keeneland to run for five days in Lexington. Ellis Park resumes its Friday through Sunday format on July 17 through the end of the meet.

For the first weekend, Ellis Park seating will be available in the Sky Theatre, which is entirely smoke-free, and the second floor of the Clubhouse, where smoking is permitted. The Turf Club, which is between the Clubhouse and the grandstand, is available for parties of up to 25 people. Ellis will work to open additional outdoor seating as safety planning and preparations are made.

Because of safety precautions necessitated by the COVID-19 global pandemic, there will be no general admission seating available for this meet. With the exception of racehorse owners, spectators are required to have a ticketed seat, with food and beverages delivered by servers to those areas. The Dade Park Grill on the Clubhouse first floor in the Historical Horse Racing area will be the only concession stand open.

“We are opening seating to the public in a safe and prudent manner that adheres to state protocol,” said Ellis Park general manager Jeff Inman. “With this methodology, we have control over where people are during the races and can make sure they are safely separated. Additionally, protocol dictates that we must have the name and contact information for every guest coming to Ellis this summer. That's why we can only have reserved seating this meet. If one of our guests should subsequently test positive for COVID-19, we will know who was at the races that day, where they were seated and how to get in touch with them.

“We know these circumstances aren't ideal, and that going to the races at Ellis Park and enjoying our expansive grassy area and grandstand is a tradition for the Tri-State area. COVID-19 has changed a lot of standards, but we're pleased that we can allow spectators at the races in a safe and responsible fashion this summer.”

For opening week, the Sky Theatre will have 47 tables available, mostly four-tops, for a total capacity of 196 people, with 62 tables in the Clubhouse (for two, four and six people) for an additional 234 individuals. Clubhouse options include the Terrace Lounge area offering a view of the racetrack, the adjacent Thoroughbred Room (also used for year-round simulcasting) and the Gardenia Room.

Admission to the track for live racing is by reservation only. Race-day reservations will be accepted as space allows, but Ellis asks that everyone try to make plans in advance. An entire table must be purchased, with no partial tables sold due to social-distancing requirements. For the first week, the minimum age for reserved seating and HHR is 18 years old. Ellis is reviewing plans to allow additional guests and younger race fans later in the summer.

Access to Historical Horse Racing on the Clubhouse first floor is available on a first-come, first-served basis with gaming terminals adhering to the state's social-distancing standards. Guests with reserved seating, along with Historical Horse Racing players, must enter through the main gate and have a non-invasive thermal screening before being admitted.

Horse owners licensed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission can watch their horses run from the racetrack apron, where media members will also be allowed. Owners and the media should enter through the paddock pavilion entrance, where they will undergo thermal screening and have their name and contact information recorded. Media members must make arrangements with Ellis Park staff prior to arrival, as there is limited space available each racing day.

Ellis Park hopes to add two additional outdoor seating areas in phases as the summer progresses. First, 40 grandstand box seats opening later in July. The boxes, which will accommodate four people each, will be sold as reserved seating and also have food and beverage delivered by servers. A third phase could see six-seat picnic tables on the racetrack apron sometime in early August.

Should all of the phases become available, the maximum capacity will be 1,010 for live racing. Concession areas at the track will not be open during the meet.

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Kentucky Governor Approves Churchill’s Plan For Spectators To Attend Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs Racetrack announced that after consultation with Gov. Andy Beshear and state public health officials the 146th runnings of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve and Longines Kentucky Oaks will occur with spectators under strict guidelines.

Kentucky Derby Week will be held Sept. 1-5 with the Oaks on Friday, Sept. 4 and the Derby on Saturday, Sept. 5.

“We truly appreciate the leadership of the Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, and all of the hard work, collaboration and guidance that state and local officials and public health experts have provided us to safely and responsibly host Kentucky Derby Week in September with spectators,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “Our team is deeply committed to holding the very best Kentucky Derby ever, and we will take all necessary steps to protect the health and safety of all who attend and participate in the Derby. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have established a comprehensive set of operating procedures, which include a multitude of precautionary measures to be followed while fans are in attendance at our facility. We are determined to keep our customers, employees and communities as safe as we responsibly can.”

Churchill Downs' plan was developed in conjunction with advice and counsel set forth by the Louisville Metro Health Department and Kentucky's Healthy at Work guidance. Some of the steps that will be taken to ensure guest and employee safety include:

· Venue capacity reductions to limit overall crowd density, including general admission, outdoor reserved seating, premium dining and suites. More information on ticketing and seating areas will be released in the coming days and also will be sent directly to ticket holders.

· General admission tickets will be limited to a specified number and only grant access to the infield. No general admission will be allowed in the “front side” or paddock areas of the facility.

· Access throughout the facility will be severely limited.

· Credentials for employees, media and guests will be reduced.

· Barn area access will be restricted to essential personnel. Guests and parties in the barn area for morning workouts and during race days will be eliminated.

· Changes in venue operations to limit person-to-person touchpoints.

· Team member protocols established to protect employees and guests.

· A revised Fan Code of Conduct that establishes expectations for guests coming to the Derby.

o Guests will be consistently and frequently encouraged to wear a mask at all times unless seated in their reserved seat or venue. This includes when:

§ Riding on a shuttle

§ Traveling through the venue

§ Going to the restroom

§ Placing an in-person wager

§ Purchasing food or beverages from a concession stand

o Guests will be asked to wash their hands for 20 seconds or sanitize them frequently.

o Guests will be encouraged to socially distance themselves from others when possible.

More detailed and additional information will be provided in the coming days online at www.KentuckyDerby.com/Updates.

“The impact of the Kentucky Derby extends well beyond the Twin Spires of Churchill Downs,” Flanery said. “It is an incredibly important time for the City of Louisville and the Commonwealth of Kentucky both culturally, economically and with respect to our time-honored traditions. Both employees and guests are asked to take an active role in following all guidelines. We must all do our part to ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience.”

Tickets purchased for the originally scheduled Kentucky Derby Week dates are automatically valid for the new race dates. Guests may arrive on the new dates in September with their printed ticket or mobile ticket to be scanned for entry at the gates. Guests that have purchased a ticket and are not able to attend the newly scheduled race dates, can visit www.KentuckyDerby.com/TicketStatus for more information. Guests who purchased tickets from a vendor or secondary market website other than Churchill Downs, Ticketmaster.com or Derby Experiences must contact those sites directly. Churchill Downs is unable to process refunds for those tickets.

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