NYRA: Beginning April 1, Fully Vaccinated Jockeys No Longer Required To Undergo COVID Tests

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced COVID-19 health and safety protocols for jockeys competing at the 2021 Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet, which will run April 1 through April 18.

The 11-day Big A spring meet will include 13 stakes worth $2.7 million in purses highlighted by the 96th running of the Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on Saturday, April 3. Live racing will be conducted on a Thursday-Sunday schedule with a 1:20 p.m. first post.

NYRA will continue to permit out of town jockeys to compete at Aqueduct during the 2021 spring meet. Those jockeys must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in New York State within 48 hours of the day they intend to compete at Aqueduct. Out of town jockeys will be provided isolated jockey quarters at Aqueduct.

Members of the regular NYRA jockey colony who travel to ride at any other racetrack during the Aqueduct spring meet will be required to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken in New York State within 48-hours of the day then intend to compete at Aqueduct. Jockeys who have traveled and returned to Aqueduct will be provided isolated jockey quarters at Aqueduct.

Beginning on April 1, all jockeys who have been fully vaccinated will no longer be required to undergo COVID-19 testing in order to compete at Aqueduct. Vaccinated jockeys traveling to ride at Aqueduct, as well as members of the NYRA jockey colony who travel outside of New York State, will continue to be provided isolated jockey quarters at Aqueduct.

According to current Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, individuals are considered fully vaccinated 14 days or more after receiving the second dose in a two dose series (Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna), or 14 days or more after they have received a single-dose vaccine (Johnson & Johnson / Janssen). NYRA will adhere to the current CDC guidance regarding COVID-19 vaccination standards.

Beginning on April 1, all jockeys who have been fully vaccinated to the satisfaction of CDC guidelines will be permitted to enter NYRA barn areas for morning training. Jockeys who have not been fully vaccinated will not be permitted in the barn area but can continue to meet horses in the Belmont paddock and utilize the main track.

In accordance with current CDC guidelines, jockeys who have traveled internationally will be required to quarantine for seven days upon their return. Four days after arrival in the United States, the jockey must be tested for COVID-19. Upon receipt of a negative COVID-19 PCR test, and completion of the seven-day quarantine, the jockey may compete at Aqueduct. All jockeys who have traveled internationally will be provided isolated jockey quarters.

In addition to race day safety protocols which include standard health screening and temperature checks, the jockey quarters at Aqueduct have been substantially altered to provide maximum social distancing and reduce density. All areas accessed by jockeys during the regular course of a race day are closed to outside personnel, including credentialed media, and are cleaned and disinfected throughout the day.

Jockey agents must produce a negative COVID-19 PCR test in order to gain access to the barn area. Races will continue to be drawn via Zoom.

Beginning on April 1, jockey valets who have been fully vaccinated to the satisfaction of CDC guidelines may enter the barn area for morning training. In addition, jockey valets that have been working in the barn area and only saddling horses in the afternoon that have not been fully vaccinated may re-enter the jockeys quarters after completing a 10-day quarantine and providing a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 48-hours of their intended return.

For additional information, and the complete stakes schedule for the 2021 Aqueduct spring meet, visit NYRA.com.

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Saddle Time After Shots: What Workload Is Acceptable?

Though horses tend to receive many more vaccinations than an average, healthy human, that doesn't mean their bodies are more adapted to dealing with them. Equus magazine recently took a look at the best recommendations for keeping horse comfortable after receiving a round of vaccinations.

Like human vaccines, many equine vaccinations are delivered intramuscularly. Though most horses will have a minimal reaction other than localized inflammation and soreness at the injection site, some horses may be stiff and unwilling to bend their neck.

While it's not recommended that the horse be worked intensely the day after he receives his shots, he can be ridden lightly the day of the vaccinations or the next day. This should make the sore muscles feel less stiff. After the first 48 hours, the horse can be returned to his normal exercise routine and intensity.

A horse should not be worked at all if he has significant swelling or stiffness, or if he has a fever. When in doubt, talk with the horse's treating veterinarian about what work, if any, they prefer the horse do.

Read more at EQUUS.

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The Thoroughbred Makeover Entrance Exam: Raising The Bar On OTTB Education

In 2019, competitors who wanted to compete in the Thoroughbred Makeover had to do more than just complete the already-rigorous application process: they had to provide a letter from their veterinarian confirming they had the knowledge and skills to competently care for an OTTB. This letter also proved that the competitor had an active veterinarian-client-patient relationship.

The Retired Racehorse Project, the nonprofit organization that hosts the Thoroughbred Makeover each year, then provided email blasts, webinars and social media content on horse health, often on OTTB-specific topics. The RRP also provided reminders to competitors about things like vaccinations and microchip registration.

The horse-health push culminated in every horse competing in the Thoroughbred Makeover competition receiving an on-site veterinary exam. The horse had to pass the exam to be permitted to compete. Though overwhelming at the outset (veterinarians had a day and a half to complete the exams on over 350 retired racehorses), the process went very smoothly.

First, competitors had to present their vaccination record, proof of Coggins and microchip information to the vet team without their horses. Then, they brought their horses for a 30-minute exam. The ability to sign up for time slots ensured that vets weren't overwhelmed and horses weren't forced to wait for hours; competitors were able to schedule  their exam time around their stall setup and schooling schedules.

The veterinarian in charge of overseeing all of the staff and volunteers was Dr. Shannon Reed, an associate professor of equine surgery in The Ohio State University's Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences. She and her team checked every horse for:

  • a microchip registered with The Jockey Club and RRP
  • a body condition score of at least 4 on the 1-to-9 Henneke scale
  • normal vital signs
  • any abnormal blemishes or swellings
  • soundness

Read more at the Retired Racehorse Project.

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Aqueduct Racetrack To Serve As State-Run COVID-19 Vaccination Center

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) opened the first floor of Aqueduct Racetrack on Monday to serve as a New York state run COVID-19 vaccination distribution center.

In doing so, Aqueduct has joined NYRA's other downstate track, Belmont Park, which is home to a vaccination distribution center operated by Northwell Health that opened earlier this month.

Over seven million New Yorkers – including doctors, nurses and health care workers, people age 65 and over, first responders, teachers, public transit workers, grocery store workers and public safety workers – are currently eligible for the vaccine. To determine eligibility and schedule appointments at New York State-run vaccination sites, visit https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/.

Opened Sept. 27, 1894, Aqueduct has lived several lives beyond racing, often opening its doors to serve the local community during its venerable and varied 126-year-history.

New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., a lifelong resident of Ozone Park who has represented the 15th Senate District since 2008, expressed his appreciation to New York state and to NYRA for selecting Aqueduct as a new distribution site, which is operating seven days a week.

“Aqueduct Racetrack is a landmark and an institution that is universally known to the constituents that I represent,” said Addabbo. “New York state selected a perfect location for this COVID-19 vaccination site and I applaud them for moving so quickly to transform a racetrack into a vaccination center. This is not the first time the men and women of the New York Racing Association have stepped up to support the community and I also thank them for their efforts to protect and support New Yorkers throughout the pandemic.”

Last spring, New York state officials identified Aqueduct as an appropriate location for an overflow hospital to serve the residents of Queens in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, the overflow hospital was not needed then or now.

“NYRA is pleased to be able to contribute to the mass vaccination effort underway across the state,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “New York state has led the way through this unprecedented public health crisis and we will continue to do our part to support this effort.”

Beginning in April 2020, the Big A parking lot has been the home of a drive-thru COVID-19 testing location, and it continues in that role. Information regarding COVID-19 testing can be found at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing.

NYRA racetracks have had many previous uses in the community. In the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, NYRA donated the use of the Aqueduct parking lot to the American Red Cross to operate a mobile feeding kitchen and relief supplies staging area.

In the days following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Belmont Park served as one of the staging areas for emergency vehicles and personnel. Less than seven weeks later, on October 27, 2001, Belmont Park was the site of the first major international sporting event post-9/11 in New York when it hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships.

In 1944 during World War II, Aqueduct concluded a trio of War Relief Days in which all the net profits were donated to the National War Fund, American Red Cross and other causes, including three Long Island hospitals. The first two War Relief days were held at the old Jamaica Race Course and Belmont Park.

The day's featured race, the Carter Handicap, resulted in the only triple dead heat in a stakes race, with Brownie, Bossuet, and Wait A Bit hitting the finish line at the same time before more than 25,000 spectators on a rain-soaked Big A track. The event was heralded as a welcome break at a perilous, worrisome time in American history – all of four days after the D-Day landing in Normandy.

One of the track's finest moments came without a horse in sight. On October 6, 1995, Pope John Paul II said mass before 75,000, speaking from the 300-foot-wide papal platform in Aqueduct's infield, surrounded by 10 cardinals, three archbishops and 23 bishops. Though rain and wind had marred the first two days of the papal visit to New York, brilliant sunshine broke through just as the Pope began to speak. The crowd was Aqueduct's biggest ever.

The winter meet at Aqueduct Racetrack continues, without spectators, through Sunday, March 21. For additional information, and to access the current television broadcast schedule, visit NYRA.com.

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