Santa Anita Park will remain closed for live racing through this weekend as it abides by the order issued last week from the Los Angeles County Health Department as it relates to essential businesses. At this time, there are no known cases of COVID-19 at Santa Anita Park.
The Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Oaks scheduled for Saturday, April 4 will be rescheduled for later in the season after racing resumes.
Molesap Wrote:
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> Santa Anita Park will remain closed for live
> racing through this weekend as it abides by the
> order issued last week from the Los Angeles County
> Health Department as it relates to essential
> businesses. At this time, there are no known
> cases of COVID-19 at Santa Anita Park.
>
> The Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Oaks
> scheduled for Saturday, April 4 will be
> rescheduled for later in the season after racing
> resumes.
Taking care of animals including thoroughbred horses is an \"essential service\" by definition. Not mine -- theirs. Makes no sense whatsoever to be required to care for the horses -- feed, bathe, workout, check on any ailments -- and then not race in the afternoon with only a handful of necessary people in the afternoon. Optics is the only reason.
Optics may be part of it, but I think a negative attitude towards horse racing in Los Angeles County is also contributing. In general, a lot of people are using the pandemic as a basis for achieving the same things they wanted to achieve before it hit.
More than a handful. At the starting gate you have 25 or 30 people in close proximity to each other. Those people then go home to their families. This is what keeps the virus spreading. It’s a totally avoidable congregating. On the backstretch the employees at least have the opportunity to social distance. They may not take advantage of that opportunity but at least they aren’t forced to congregate by the nature of the job. California did the right thing in my opinion.
6 or 8 jocks per race. 16-20 gate personnel. 1 trainer per horse. 1-2 grooms per horse. 6 or 8 outriders per race (the same ones for all races). Stewards in rooms social distancing. TVG personnel social distancing. Ambulance drivers in vehicles. No spectators. No owners. No concession personnel. No ticket takers. No winner\'s circle photogs.
A \"handful\" especially compared with the back stretch with 1,000 personnel with no positives reported.
Just my opinion and you have a right to disagree.
Suspended racing UFN