COVID-19

The upcoming Arqana August Yearling Sale begins on Saturday, Aug. 14, and COVID-19 health protocols were announced by the sales company on Tuesday. To gain access to the sales grounds, all interested parties must register here. All registered individuals must also present a health pass at the entrance of Arqana's sale complex, with only the main entrance and one near the loading ramps for stud personnel open at this time. The right-handed lane at the main entrance will be reserved for people with a valid health pass. Non-European visitors will...

The Pennsylvania-bred stakes schedule received a major boost for the remainder of the year, with four stakes doubling in value to $200,000, plus the addition of two $100,000 stakes. A total of $2.6 million in purses will now be paid out in restricted, state-bred stakes in 2021. "Our revenue has stabilized and the Race Horse Development Trust Fund has stood strong," Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association's executive secretary Brian Sanfratello said. "We wanted to send a message that Pennsylvania is on the move and the premier place to breed and race."...

Wagering essentially stayed the same in July compared to the same month from 2020 while still showing marked improvement over corresponding 2019 numbers, according to the latest economic indicators released by Equibase. Purses continued to rise over last year's pandemic-affected levels and eclipsed 2019 numbers for July. Overall, $1,101,617,446 was wagered on U.S. races in July 2021, compared to $1,098,021,143 in 2020, a slight uptick of 0.33%. In July of 2019, $942,243,633 was wagered, making last month's numbers a 16.91% increase over that figure. With the number of race days...

Woodbine will host a pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the track Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. for anyone requiring a first or second dose, including Toronto residents and those who work at Woodbine Racetrack, Casino Woodbine and the Casino Woodbine development. The vaccine clinic, which is operated by Unity Health Toronto, will operate for one day and is open to individuals 12 years and older in 2021 and who live or work in Toronto. Woodbine Racetrack previously hosted a six-day pop-up COVID-19 vaccine clinic in May 2021. During...

Kentucky HBPA College Day is back at Ellis Park this Sunday after a COVID-19 forced year hiatus. Full-time college students can enter a drawing to win an iPad Mini or a $1,000 scholarship after each of Sunday's races. The Kentucky Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association, which represents racehorse owners and trainers at the state's five Thoroughbred tracks, is sponsoring the iPad Mini giveaway and is teaming with Ellis Park for the $1,000 scholarships. "College Day is an investment in our industry's future," said Marty Maline, executive director of the Kentucky...

The Racecourse Association (RCA) will be working closely with the UK Government to ensure the successful rollout of the new covid pass requirement after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a full COVID-19 vaccination would be required prior to entry at "venues where large crowds gather" beginning in October of 2021. Johnson was speaking on 'Freedom Day', the date when the majority of coronavirus restrictions were eased in England. Racecourses were allowed to begin hosting unrestricted numbers of spectators on Monday. Prime Minister Johnson said, "I should serve notice now that...

Handle for the opening four-day week of the Saratoga meet soared to more than $90 million, easily besting the corresponding 2020 and 2019 numbers. The New York Racing Association added a day to the previous three-day opening week Saratoga schedule in 2019. The exact handle total for the 41-race week was $90,112,254, an increase of 12.18% from last year's number of $80,325,660, which was affected by the lack of spectators at Saratoga due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also represents an increase of 22.7% from the $73,441,101 total in 2019....

There will be an attendance cap of just 1,000 spectators per day for the Galway Summer Festival. The week-long fixture features the Galway Plate and Galway Hurdle. Galway Racecourse had submitted a proposal of 5,000 fans a day through the turnstiles, but that was rejected by the Irish Government. Instead, the festival will have the same limit on spectators as the Irish Derby meeting at The Curragh earlier this summer. Ireland is still in the grip of the COVID-19 pandemic. "We got news last night that we will be able...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY--Precisely 52 weeks ago, King's Tavern co-owner Jason Fitch valiantly tried to be at least a little bit positive about the prospect of a racing season without spectators across Union Avenue at Saratoga Race Course. Closed for three months by the COVID-19 lockdown, King's had reopened in mid-June at the partial-capacity limits of the time. While just being able to operate was better than nothing for Fitch and his brothers and partners, Adam and Patrick, he acknowledged it was going to be a difficult summer without the thousands...

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that lockdown restrictions will ease on July 19, paving the way for racecourses in England to receive their full complement of spectators. The UK Government will no longer require social distancing and wearing face coverings, but the public is still advised to utilise them in crowded spaces. Some COVID-19 safety protocols will remain in place at racecourses, with Ascot slated to host the G1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth QIPCO S. on July 24. The Prime Minister said in a Downing Street...

The 2021 yearling season kicks off with Fasig-Tipton's July Sale Tuesday at the Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. With just under 350 yearlings cataloged for the single-session auction, the July sale, which had swelled to as many as 550-600 horses over a decade ago, appears to have found its sweet spot--both in volume and the type of offerings--in recent times. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the July Sale was cancelled last season, with the horses merged into the re-routed Saratoga Select and NY-bred sales held in Kentucky in September. "It...

Keeneland will open at full capacity for the upcoming Fall Meet, which will be held Oct. 8-30. Tickets will go on sale beginning at 9 a.m. ET Monday, Aug. 16. Prospective purchasers should visit tickets.keeneland.com in advance for information on available ticket options and the process to purchase. Keeneland's e-ticketing platform will enable fans to add tickets to their mobile wallets for scanning at the admission gates. "Keeneland is thrilled to welcome greater numbers of fans back to the track for what promises to be a terrific Fall Meet," Keeneland...