Churchill Downs To Resume Racing In September

Racing will return to Churchill Downs as scheduled for the track's regularly scheduled meeting beginning Sept. 14. The announcement comes following an “evaluation of existing safety protocols and a thorough assessment of industry best practices,” according to a release from the track.

Operations at the Louisville oval were suspended in early June following a rash of breakdowns during the first month of the meeting that began only a few days prior to the running of the GI Kentucky Derby. The balance of the Churchill spring meet was run at Ellis Park from June 10 through July 3.

Officials at Churchill Downs have announced several key enhancements to include:

 

  • Infrastructure Upgrades: Analysis by multiple leading industry experts found no issues with the racing surfaces, however, to further maximize surface oversight and consistency, the Racetrack has invested in additional new surface maintenance equipment and committed to doubling the frequency of surface testing;

 

  • Increased Veterinary Oversight: Additional resources will be added to CDI's highly qualified veterinary team to provide additional monitoring and specialized care for horses and assist in pre-race inspections and entry screening;

 

  • Collaboration with Industry Experts: Work will continue with HISA and other industry experts to predict at-risk horses using up-to-date data and advanced analytic techniques;

 

  • Establish Safety Management Committee: A new safety committee will be established consisting of horsemen designees, racetrack employees and veterinarians to candidly discuss concerns and observations to constantly provide real time feedback on areas of improvement.

 

“We are excited to resume live racing again at Churchill Downs,” said Bill Carstanjen, CEO of CDI. “Our commitment to safety remains paramount as we enter this September meet and our participants, fans and the public can be assured that we will continue to investigate, evaluate and improve upon every policy and protocol.”

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Spectatorless Racing to Continue in UK

In the latest resumption of racing update, racing behind closed doors is set to continue for the foreseeable future, the British Horseracing Authority announced on Thursday. The BHA thanked participants for their continued support and cooperation in following the behind closed doors protocols, but stressed that with both government and public health concerns about a rise in cases and a potential ‘second wave’ of COVID-19 cases, that it is vital everyone in racing continues to follow the proper protocols so that progress can be resumed towards re-introduction of spectators at the earliest available opportunity through the rescheduling of pilot events.

BHA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jerry Hill has requested all participants and racecourse attendees to follow the following three steps to help keep everyone safe:

  • Follow all the social distancing requirements when you attend racing, whether you’re in the ‘green zone’ for participants or the owners’ area.
  • Do not cross from one zone to another, as this weakens the controls and could lead to many more people being quarantined if there is a positive case, as well as risking people’s health.
  • Please let the BHA’s Medical Team (medical@britishhorseracing.com) know if there’s a positive case so they can liaise with the public health authorities to manage the NHS Test & Trace process with the minimum impact. Dr. Hill can offer advice to employers, which can limit the effects on their business whilst keeping staff safe.

The BHA also reminded all racing personnel that the reason restrictions have not been further eased, is that the specific government guidance for elite sport applies to racing, whereas these same restrictions would not be applied to local businesses, like the local pub. Public health authorities have also made it clear to the BHA that they will consider a 14-day quarantine period for all racecourse attendees in the same zone as someone who tests positive for COVID-19.

For more information on the latest resumption of racing update, go to www.britishhorseracing.com.

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Time to Change Jockey COVID Protocols?

Have saddle, will travel–a well-worn aphorism. But is it a wise one to emulate in this time of the coronavirus?

Within the past week, Flavien Prat, Victor Espinoza, Eduard Rojas Fernandez, Luis Saez and Martin Garcia have all tested positive for the virus–a chain of events that can be traced back to Los Alamitos over the July 4 weekend, said Derek Lawson, Prat’s agent. “There’s no question that that’s where it happened,” he said, of Prat’s infection occurring at the Southern California facility.

But against a broader surge in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations in several parts of the country, cautionary voices industry-wide appear to be growing in volume, raising questions about the safety standards racetracks nationwide have instituted to protect the riding community.

A central part of the problem, said Terry Meyocks, Jockeys’ Guild president and CEO, is a familiar industry refrain: a fractured set of standards across the country.

“There needs to be more consistency throughout the United States,” said Meyocks. “It’s a more fluid situation due to the recent positives.”

A perfect example of that can be found in Southern California. When live racing resumed at Santa Anita, it did so under arguably the strictest protocols of any jockey colony in the U.S.

All riders were tested prior to action, before being quarantined in trailers on site for the duration of the weekend. There were also strict procedures in place to separate the riders and the retinue of front-stretch staff from the backstretch community, including restrictions surrounding saddling horses and attending grooms. Jockeys and their agents were also banned from entering the backstretch during morning training.

“What we did was pretty aggressive,” said Aidan Butler, acting executive director of California racing for The Stronach Group. “It worked pretty well.”

When asked how the rash of positive cases within the Santa Anita backside community factored in, Butler replied that the racetrack is both a training and racing center, and so, it’s “common sense” to impose restrictions to separate the backstretch from the front side workers. “If you want to race, you’ve got to protect the jockeys,” he said.

Del Mar has so far done things differently. Prior to this weekend, Del Mar didn’t require that jockeys get tested before riding. That has now changed–before racing resumes this Friday, Del Mar will test all jockeys and jockeys’ room personnel.

At the start of the month, Del Mar management touted to the San Diego Union-Tribune a $250,000 investment in COVID-19 safeguards, along with a nine-page opening plan crafted with input from medical experts at nearby Scripps Hospital.

Nevertheless, when it comes to separating the front stretch community from the backstretch, Del Mar appeared to have instituted a looser set of procedures than at Santa Anita, including allowing jockeys and their agents into the Del Mar backstretch in the morning.

The TDN made multiple calls, emails and texts Monday morning to Del Mar management for comment. The only reply we got was from track spokesperson Mac McBride, who explained in an email that track management were busy Monday revising safety plans, but he added that jockeys have now been barred from the backstretch. “Possible we may not allow riders to ship in or out of town,” he wrote.

Some, like Lawson, refuse to point fingers at the tracks. “There’s no blame on anybody,” he said. “There’s no place that can put somebody in a bubble for time immemorial.”

Still, Meyocks said that Santa Anita’s strict protocols, including those to separate the front-side and backstretch communities, provide a gold standard that other tracks should try to emulate, where possible.

“I’m not saying that every track can do that,” Meyocks added, pointing to the associated costs and logistics. “But you’ve got to hand it to Santa Anita.”

At a minimum, said Meyocks, tracks should insist on the following: better social distancing between race-day workers, routine testing, and more rigorous sanitization of the jocks’ room and other congregation points.

“Most of the jocks’ rooms are small with 20 jocks on top of each other,” he said. “Find somewhere you can spread them apart and limit exposure.”

There’s also the issue of jockeys flying from track-to-track across the country, with trainer Graham Motion telling the TDN Saturday that for the “well-being” of the riders, less travel might be better. “We’re putting a lot of pressure on everyone, including the jockeys,” he said.

Motion reiterated those same concerns Monday, adding that some tracks and jurisdictions were doing better than others when it comes to protecting the backstretch community as a whole, not just the jockeys.

“The tracks should be looking after us if they want to keep the game going,” said Motion.

One of the tracks that Motion mentioned favorably was Keeneland, which operated four separate jocks’ rooms to keep current riders together, to maximize social distancing, and to limit the contact with jockeys flying in from other parts of the country.

This weekend, California-based jockey Mike Smith is scheduled to fly out to New Jersey to partner the Bob Baffert-trained Authenticity in the latest running of the GI Haskell Invitational S.

According to Dennis Drazin, CEO of Monmouth Park, riders shipping in will be tested and separated from the existing jockey colony at Monmouth, with all current protocols for COVID-19 still in place and applicable to “all jockeys.”

“We have considered all options and submitted detailed protocols for approval by our regulators, who in turn consult with the [Department of Health] and administration,” wrote Drazin, in a text, adding that Monmouth medical director, Dr. Angelo Chinnici, oversees medical protocols at the track. “We try to stress to the jockeys the importance of masks and social distancing.”

Martin Panza, senior vice president of racing operations for the New York Racing Association (NYRA), wrote in a text that he wasn’t able to discuss protocols for the upcoming Saratoga meet–which starts this Thursday–as they’re “very fluid” at the moment.

“Wish all tracks had been testing,” Panza added.

Motion, however, has a different wish.

“If we had a national body supervising the protocols, we’d be in much better shape, whereas everybody’s going about things in their own way, and I think that’s putting everybody in an awkward spot,” said Motion. “This just goes to show another chink in our armor.”

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Kentucky Derby, Oaks Will Have Spectators

After consultation with Gov. Andy Beshear and state public health officials, Churchill Downs announced Thursday that the 146th running of the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Longines Kentucky Oaks will occur with spectators under strict guidelines.

Kentucky Derby Week will be held Sept. 1-5 with the Oaks taking place Friday, Sept. 4 and the Derby 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’s 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.
  • Guests will be consistently and frequently encouraged to wear a mask at all times unless seated in their reserved seat or venue.
  • Guests will be asked to wash their hands for 20 seconds or sanitize them frequently.
  • 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.”

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