spectators

The Whitney Viewing Stand will remain open this fall for spectators to enjoy morning workouts at the Oklahoma Training Track. Beginning Friday, Sept. 10, the public will be invited to view training at Oklahoma from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. The Whitney Viewing Stand will remain open during the same hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through the conclusion of training for the year in November.

Ascot Racecourse has received a boost with the news that it has been selected by the British government to be part of the Events Research Programme (ERP) as restrictions continue to ease with regard to sporting events.  The announcement means that the racecourse will now be able to host 12,000 people daily during Royal Ascot, which begins its five-day run on Tuesday, June 15. With the final tier of government restrictions set to be lifted nationally on June 21, there had been fears that only 4,000 people would be allowed...

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced Friday that it is collaborating with Quest Diagnostics to provide COVID-19 testing this Saturday and Sunday at Belmont Park, where a limited number of spectators will return to the track for the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Quest Diagnostics Mobile Testing Unit will offer COVID-19 antigen tests, which return a result within 30 minutes. On both Saturday and Sunday, tests will be offered to spectators for $30. The Quest Diagnostics Mobile Testing Unit will be located near...

Crowds will not return to UK racecourses until mid-May at the earliest Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, when discussing the UK's path out of its current COVID-19 lockdown. Schools will reopen on Mar. 8, but grassroots sport will not begin prior to Mar. 29, along with larger groups being allowed to gather in parks and gardens. Johnson is planning on crowds back at sports venues no earlier than May 17. Racing has taken place behind closed doors in England since it resumed in June with the exception of a few...

The 57-day meeting at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, AR, is set to be conducted with a limited number of spectators, pursuant to the directives of the Arkansas Department of Health. "We've been working on plans covering numerous scenarios and we're happy to announce we will be welcoming back race fans in 2021, albeit on a limited basis," General Manager Wayne Smith said. "We know that the fans are what make Oaklawn so special, but our main concern is for the safety and well-being of our guests and team members....

Four tracks will be welcoming in limited spectators in England on Wednesday. Haydock, Kempton, Lingfield and Ludlow-all located in Tier 2 areas--are all set to open their doors to spectators for the first time since March. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the halt of all racing from mid-March and it did not resume-behind closed doors only--until June 1. There have been a pair of small pilot days, with Doncaster and Warwick both hosting some crowds in September, but it was not until the UK government released their new tiered system that...

A limited number of spectators will be allowed on certain English racecourses as of Dec. 2, the British Horseracing Authority announced. Spectators are permitted in some areas of England, according to the latest guidelines revealed by the UK government. Owners are able to attend fixtures across all three tiers, while regular spectators are allowed only in Tiers 1 and 2. Spectators and owners are both permitted in the Amber Zone (formerly the Owner Zone) at racecourses, but there will be specific areas reserved for owners only. Pre-registration is essential for...

Spectators will be allowed to return to sporting events in Tiers 1 and 2 in England as the COVID-19 cases in those areas decreases. Racing ceased in mid-March as the coronavirus pandemic began, and resumed behind closed doors on June 1. There were two small pilot events held at Doncaster and Warwick, but racing continued fanless under the new autumn lockdown imposed last month. A joint statement from the British Horseracing Authority, The Horsemen's Group and the Racecourse Association read: "The leaders of British horseracing have welcomed the government's decision...

Crowds of up to 500 people will be possible at Irish racecourses, after the Irish government announced the latest COVID-19 rules on Tuesday. Ireland is at stage 2 in the government's coronavirus alert, which allows for 200 more people at racecourses than previously. If Ireland reaches stage 1, 500 people would allowed, up from 200. If the pandemic worsens and reaches stage 3 or stage 4 in the new grading system, racing would once again go behind closed doors. At stage 5, racing, along with other sports, would cease. "It's...

Arlington International Racecourse is awaiting decisions from local and state health officials that would pave the way for spectators to once again be allowed at the races under socially distanced pandemic precautions. The plan calls for a phased-in approach that would start with horse owners being allowed back to the track, then ramping up attendance to allow 2,000 people into the plant for live racing on the day of the GI Kentucky Derby simulcast. The Daily Herald of suburban Chicago first broke the story Friday. Arlington has proposed hosting 500...

Spectators will be allowed to return to French racecourses in a limited fashion beginning on July 11, France Galop, LeTROT and the Federation Nationale des Courses Hippiques announced on Saturday. However, this decree applies only to racecourses that are not located in zones that are in a state of emergency due to COVID-19, and no more than 5,000 spectators, racing professionals and staff needed to run a race meeting combined may attend. Social distancing rules have to be observed, as well as mandatory face masks must be brought and worn...

In conjunction with the State of Indiana and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission, Harrah's Hoosier Park Racing & Casino in Anderson and Indiana Grand Racing & Casino in Shelbyville will allow for live racing beginning July 4. Simulcast operations will also resume at both properties. Both Hoosier and Indiana Grand will operate at reduced capacity, in accordance with State of Indiana and the Indiana Horse Racing Commission guidelines. All guests will be strongly encouraged to wear face masks in all locations, and will be required to wear face masks while...