• As I write this early on Monday morning, I would say there is about a 50/50 chance that racing at Santa Anita will start up this weekend, or maybe even Friday. The L.A. County Dept. of Health shut down racing here this past week due the Covid-19 virus and it is up to the track’s management to convince the department that the racing of horses is an “essential” business. So far, there has been no positive viruses found at the race track and that includes about 750 employees, which take care of 1700 horses that live on the back side. Aidan Butler of Santa Anita along with the TOC group head up the charge. They feel that the continuation of racing at Santa Anita does not represent a health risk to the workers that live here at Santa Anita Park. Furthermore, there are not enough farms in the area

• For the last 12 months, the “Great Race Place” has been consistently attacked by the media, the Governor, state senators, and animal activist groups, and through it all has managed to continue racing. But now there is a new invisible enemy, the Coronavirus, 10 times more deadly than the seasonal flu. And while many tracks across the country have shut down, Santa Anita Park and Golden Gate Fields continue to race. But they only do so under the strictest of regulations, and new protocols are put in place every day so they can continue to do so. If the virus breaks out on the backstretch, where as many as 1000 people live, it’s all over. There are over 1500 horses here and they need to be cared for on a daily basis and exercised accordingly. All jockeys and exercise riders have their temps taken daily and are denied entrance

Wow, what a difference one week makes. As the nation tries to get their arms around the deadly Coronavirus, the country has almost come to a standstill with regards to our everyday lives. With all the major sporting events either completely shutting down or at least postponed for some time, thoroughbred racing becomes the ONLY GAME IN TOWN. They won’t allow you to go to the track, as they have cancelled all on site spectators throughout the country, but you can watch and wager from home, which most people do anyway. Some satellite shops are open, but they are limiting the count to 200/250 people, if they are open at all. Most of the tracks are running around the country without spectators, but a few are closed down completely like Turf Paradise in Phoenix. Parx racing in Pennsylvania is shut down for two weeks and then will evaluate their situation.