Turfway Park

A pair of workers at Turfway Park--one backstretch worker and one track employee--have tested positive for coronavirus in recent weeks, according to a report first published by Blood-Horse. Turfway's parent company Churchill Downs ended the Turfway meet--which had been being conducted without spectators--three days earlier than scheduled last month, citing Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear's "Healthy at Home" executive order. Churchill Downs, Inc. spokesperson Tonya Abeln confirmed to the TDN Wednesday that the ill backstretch worker was symptomatic more than two weeks ago and was subsequently hospitalized and tested positive for...

Thursday was supposed to be opening day at Keeneland's spring meet, which has been canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, officials who oversee the association's racecourse and sales company spent their afternoon on a video conference call with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC)'s race dates advisory committee explaining how Keeneland will face a situation that is markedly different from the state's other four Thoroughbred tracks when emergency public health mandates are relaxed enough to allow live racing to resume. Bob Elliston, Keeneland's vice president of racing and sales,...

When Fitri Hay's Zipaway (City Zip) took a $5,000 maiden claimer at Turfway Park Mar. 21, it gave trainer Wesley Ward a tiebreaking 19th winner from 53 runners and secured leading trainer honors at the meet, cut short by Governor Andy Beshear's directive to close non-essential businesses in the coronavirus outbreak. Ward's victory left Mike Maker on 18 winners from his 70 starters. It was the third consecutive title for Ward at the winter/spring meet at Turfway. He also shared the top spot with Maker during the 2018 holiday meet....

Churchill Downs announced the closure of Turfway Park Wednesday due to the coronavirus pandemic, citing the "Healthy at Home" Executive Order 2020-257 issued by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. With the Turfway racing season scheduled to run through Saturday, March 28, the remainder of the meet has been cancelled. Turfway Park's backside will remain open for training because it falls under the "life-sustaining business" category as it provides "food, shelter, and other necessities of life for animals."

Ed DeRosa of Brisnet.com takes on TDN's Steve Sherack and Brian DiDonato as they handicap Triple Crown prep races plus the big three races themselves. The three will make $100 Win/Place bets in the preps and $200 Win/Place bets in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont. Highest bankroll at the end wins. DeRosa - Last Week's Results - Honor A. P. (+200) was second-best in the San Felipe. Necker Island (Gotham) and Letmeno (Tampa Bay Derby) failed to fire. Bankroll: $1395. GII Rebel S. - The Rebel is as compelling...

Saturday's GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks is one of just two Kentucky Derby points races in this country to be held over a synthetic racing surface and while only half of the 12 entrants hold nominations to the Triple Crown series, an interesting betting affair looms. Invader (War Front) figures a lukewarm favorite, as he enters this graded-stakes debut perfect in two tries over the local Polytrack--a towering 12 3/4-length maiden victory going a mile last Dec. 4 followed by a 6 1/4-length success in the John Battaglia Memorial S. Feb....

6th-Turfway, $34,100, 2-21, 4yo/up, 1 1/16m (AWT), 1:43.33, ft. SOMELIKEITHOTBROWN (c, 4, Big Brown--Marilyn Monroan, by Tapit) Lifetime Record: GSW & GISP, 10-4-2-1, $427,738. O-Skychai Racing LLC & Sand Dollar Stable LLC; B-Hot Pink Stables & Sand Dollar Stables (NY); T-Michael J. Maker. The Turfway winner SOMELIKEITHOTBROWN leaves behind a trail of ingenious clues leading to the never-forgotten diva Marilyn Monroe. His dam is MARILYN MONROAN, whose color is, you guessed it, roan. MARILYN MONROAN's first foal was the 2015 colt MR PRESIDENT, a reference to the birthday song memorably...

Churchill Downs Incorporated plans to invest $5.6 million to replace the existing track at Turfway Park with a new Tapeta synthetic track through an agreement with Tapeta Footings, Inc., CDI announced Tuesday. The removal of Turfway's existing Polytrack and installation of the new Tapeta synthetic track will take place immediately following the close of Turfway's Winter/Spring Meet Mar. 28 and is expected to be ready for the 2020 Holiday Meet beginning Dec. 2. CDI owns and operates three of the four synthetic tracks in the United States and Turfway will...

Due to unexpected repairs to its grandstand heating system, Turfway Park will be closed for simulcasting Wednesday, Jan. 29. The general office remains open and deliveries are being accepted. The track expects to reopen for simulcasting Thursday, Jan. 30. The live racing schedule, currently Thursday through Saturday, is not affected.

Barely 18 hours after a state-mandated Dec. 31 deadline elapsed for having a purse contract in place, the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association (ITHA) lashed out at Arlington International Racecourse and its publicly traded ownership, Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), claiming that the gaming company "deceived Illinois" and is now "threatening the future of live racing at Arlington by refusing to commit" to funding adequate purses for the 2020 meet. The ITHA's allegations were listed in a point-by-point press release sent to news organizations late on New Year's Day, and the top...