Golden Gate Fields will resume live racing on Thursday, May 14, after receiving provisional approval Wednesday morning from the Alameda County Public Health Officer. Live racing was temporarily suspended Apr. 2, following an order from Alameda County in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Live racing will be conducted under strict protocols and without spectators, to protect the health, safety and welfare of every person and every horse in the Golden Gate Fields community. The protocols are still being finalized with county officials and will be released in the coming days, as will the racing condition book. At this time, there have been no known cases of COVID-19 at Golden Gate Fields.
“We are appreciative of the cooperation we received from the Alameda County Health officials to protect their citizens while providing us the opportunity to protect our community by continuing live racing in Northern California,” said Aidan Butler, Executive Director of California Racing Operations for The Stronach Group. “The health and safety of every person and every horse continues to be our North Star. As California begins the path to recovery, the best way for us to ensure their safety is to re-engage the economic engine that provides for them.”
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 of whom live on-site and are 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.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
