US RACING: Santa Anita gets the go ahead for racing
Santa Anita Park has received approval from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to resume safe live racing beginning May 15 as part of the county's revision of its "Safer at Home" guidelines. Racing will be conducted without spectators and with essential personnel following strict protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Protocols call for […]
US RACING: Santa Anita plans nine-race card for Friday (May 15)
Just as Santa Anita Park on Tuesday morning was accepting entries for a nine-race program on Friday, it was revealed during a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting the area’s “safer at home” order that’s scheduled to expire will instead be extended. Santa Anita, which hasn’t raced since March 22, has previously said the […]
CANADIAN RACING: Woodbine sets June 6 or 13 for restart
Woodbine Entertainment Group has in mind either of two dates in June for resuming Thoroughbred racing, and plans for the meet include postponing the Queen's Plate until September. CEO Jim Lawson said in a live-streamed interview Tuesday that officials with the Toronto-area track are planning around reopening behind closed doors on June 6 or June […]
US RACING: Horse dies at Santa Anita after workout; 13th since December
ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — A 13th horse has died at Santa Anita since late December. Tailback, a 4-year-old gelding, broke down after a workout Sunday. Trained by Mike Puype, Tailback had no wins in two career starts and earnings of $4,340, according to Equibase. He completed a four-furlong workout on the main dirt track in […]
US RACING: Horses are coming back to Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Let the races begin. After several delays because of coronavirus concerns that ended up postponing the Kentucky Derby to Labor Day weekend, Churchill Downs opened its stables for the first time since winter renovations began in December. Racing will resume on May 16 without spectators, an interesting challenge for a storied […]
UK RACING: Epsom authority backs behind closed doors Derby
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) - The authority responsible for maintaining Epsom Downs on Tuesday gave its backing to the staging of the Derby and the Oaks after the coronavirus delayed this year's running of the English classic horseraces. Epsom and Walton Downs Conservators gave their unanimous support to the two races going ahead without spectators. […]
FRENCH RACING: Masked jockeys, no hugging but racing is up and running
PARIS, France (AFP) - There were no celebratory hugs and trainers and jockeys wore masks as French racing resumed under the shadow of coronavirus at the fabled Longchamp racecourse on Monday. While France's Ligue 1 football and Top 14 rugby leagues have been cancelled until September, racing benefitted from being quixotically labelled an agricultural pursuit. […]
Prime Minister says restart of racing before COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Prime Minister Andrew Holness has stated that the possible restart of horse racing at Caymanas Park rests with the recently appointed COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force. The task force is chairman by Minister of Finance Dr Nigel Clarke. The prime minister was answering a question at yesterday’s (May 12, 2020) digital press […]
FRENCH RACING: Resumption takes place with new realities
French racing faced its new reality on Monday as the sport resumed for the first time since the coronavirus shutdown with action at ParisLongchamp. Strict social distancing, the use of masks and severely reduced numbers of people on course were the order of the day - with everyone from stable staff to media reduced to […]
UK RACING – Authorities looking for a start on June 1
The British Horseracing Authority have confirmed they are working towards the sport resuming on June 1. That was the earliest date given for the return of professional sport in England on Monday as the Government released full details of its roadmap for exiting the lockdown. It features among stage two of the procedures laid out […]