Pursuant to guidance issued Thursday morning by the Alameda County Public Health Officer, Golden Gate Fields in Albany, CA, will shut down temporarily for live racing effective immediately as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A release from the track reads:
“At Golden Gate Fields, the health, safety and welfare of every person and every horse in our community is our top priority. At this time, there are no known cases of COVID-19 at Golden Gate Fields. This measure is being taken in response to a mandate from Alameda County officials.
“At Golden Gate Fields, there are over 1,200 horses stabled who require daily care. That care is provided by the 400 backstretch team members, most who live on-site and have been operating under stringent new measures for protection aligned with the best guidance from local and international health and government authorities on COVID-19. The track has been closed to the general public and to closed all but essential personnel since Mar. 12, 2020.
“We will continue to work with authorities to familiarize them with the protocols which have been put in place to protect the health and safety of those who work with the horses and the horses themselves.
“We look forward to the return of live racing at Golden Gate as soon as approval is received from local regulators.”
Golden Gate Fields is owned by The Stronach Group, which also shut down racing at Santa Anita Park Friday, Mar. 27.
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