Save your Confederate money..,

[TGJB]

... cause Santa Anita might rise again, pretty soon, if rumors are correct. There are also rumors of NYRA opening again for the Belmont meet, but there are a lot of variables in that one.

[richiebee]

Let\'s be optimistic. It is easy to trash Racing, a sport/industry which has
spent decades fouling its nest while simultaneously shooting itself in the
hoof, but we are talking jobs/livelihoods here. The lost jobs, the shuttered
businesses, the weakened industries, are all going to create an economic
hangover which will last for a long while after the world is healthy again.

DRF is offering past performances for four venues scheduled to race today:
Golden Gate, Gulf, Oaklawn and Tampa Bay Downs. I will offer my OPINION that
there are currently infected individuals working on the backstretch at each of
these venues.

If it seems likely that these four venues are going to be able to continue
(congrats to Belinda Stronach, who apparently knew which pocket to put the cash
in to save yesterday\'s Florida Derby card), if Racing had central leadership,
this is what might happen: (this plan as it were is based on the fact that
cities/counties/states are bleeding income/revenue. Racing is a source of
income/revenue, conducted outdoors, which somehow makes it safer).  

THE PLAN:

1) The four currently operating venues apply to the necessary state
commissions/authorities to extend their current race meets until July 1.

2) If above approval is granted, test all employees at these four venues. Those
who test positive are quarantined and treated. Those who are healthy continue
to work. The tracks will offer a uniform social distancing best practices
document which will show how the racing operation will be conducted employing
social distancing.

3) Pump up the purse structure at all of these tracks. The problem will be how
these tracks will handle horses coming in from other tracks, from farms, from
training centers. If shipping in is permissible, there could be some really
good racing at these four venues while they enjoy a monopoly. Write some races
for the 3YOs whose connections are hoping to participate in the Sept 5 Kentucky
Derby aka \"The New Fall Classic\".

Jobs will be saved. The folks looking for a source of diversion and
entertainment (ironically, now, me) will be satisfied. Racing may have a chance
to get some new fans. Maybe Tampa Bay Downs, now thrust into a national
position of prominence, will secure the services of a decent race caller. I
vote for Travis Stone or the Keeneland guy.

Really won\'t matter that Racing is going on with business as usual, which might
offend some, because Racing has been wearing the proverbial black hat for a few
years now

Who knows? Churchill has not made a decision on its Spring Meet. Arlington
announced they are postponing their May opening.

Aqueduct is being transformed into a hospital, finally getting the deep
cleaning it has needed for about 50 years. I hope JB is right about Belmont
opening because that would mean that NYC aka The Epicenter is returning to
\"normal\".

As to Saratoga, as much as the region relies on the six weeks of
income/revenue, it is hard to imagine the tightly packed crowds on the big days
being a part of the Saratoga Experience any time in the near future. Cynically
I look for NYRA to limit weekend attendance at the Spa to 15,000 socially
distanced racing fans and charge these fans an exorbitant sum for the
privilege.

IF QUICK TESTS ARE INDEED AVAILABLE, TEST EVERYONE. THE HEALTHY FOLKS CAN
RETURN TO WORK, THE SICK ARE TREATED AND SEPARATED. RESTART THE NATIONAL
ECONOMY.

[JimP]

A couple of issues:
1. The tests would have to be done to everyone every day.
2. I understand the tests are not highly reliable. Lots of false negatives and positives. Both of which create other issues.

[richiebee]

Jim:

Agreed, and would add that there are more than a \"couple\" of issues with my
\"Plan\".

The key to any recovery is a reliable, portable quick test for the virus and more
importantly a vaccination. Of course I am no scientist but daily testing might be
overly protective, weekly testing more than enough?

[jma11473]

I\'m not sure there\'s a realistic plan that has racing continuing without a break. I\'m not a doctor or nurse but I work with/for a bunch of them and they\'ve been right so far. So I\'ll speculate a bit too based on what I\'ve heard.

I can\'t see any sport resuming in full without daily/regular tests, or at least a test and then you stay on site once you test negative and are only exposed to others who test negative. (Logically we\'d see the same thing for all jobs, though financial and political pressure might prevent this...different topic.) So, your plan is on target there. I could see an NBA playoff tournament if the players are tested and then stay on site and play in an empty arena, neutral location, no fans. (If you\'re talking about six months or a year from now, different story, but I mean in what would be considered the time frame for a \"normal\" season.) I can see baseball in June with similar regulations. But having sufficient testing is the first step to getting a sport started again as a television/gambling property. Substitute \"horse racing\" for NBA players---keeping in mind that EVERYONE would have to be tested, and maybe what you propose could come to pass.

Fans in attendance? Travel? Highly uncertain at best in 2020.

[ajkreider]

If there is evidence of resistance (for those that have had it), you wouldn\'t need to test everyone every day. Everyone that\'s been infected, and is dormant, goes back to work straight away. Those that test negative who\'ve never had it also go back, because they won\'t get from co-workers, and even if they do, won\'t pass it along, so long as there\'s a critical mass of \"had it\"s to provide the narrow herd immunity.

[richiebee]

The other question (speaking of herds) is how best to keep caring for the horses
currently stabled at the racetracks if Racing is entirely \"paused\" across the
country. Will these horses continue to be trained on the backstretch?

If an owner does not want to pay a trainer day money without any chance of
recouping any money from purse earnings,is the backstretch sustainable? Are we
looking at mass turnouts?

The answer some have given is that since horses will continue to be cared for on
the backstretch, it does not take that much in the way of extra personnel to put
on a race card.

[Strike]

TGJB Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ... cause Santa Anita might rise again, pretty
> soon, if rumors are correct. There are also rumors
> of NYRA opening again for the Belmont meet, but
> there are a lot of variables in that one.

Any fresh rumors regarding SA?

[BitPlayer]

I have no inside information, but I have read that this is in the hands of Los Angeles County officials.  This is the County where the DA created a task force to investigate potential criminal behavior in connection with the wave of horse fatalities at Santa Anita last winter.  Reopening makes sense to me, but I am guessing the political hurdles to doing so are high.

[Strike]

BitPlayer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have no inside information, but I have read that
> this is in the hands of Los Angeles County
> officials.  This is the County where the DA
> created a task force to investigate potential
> criminal behavior in connection with the wave of
> horse fatalities at Santa Anita last winter.
> Reopening makes sense to me, but I am guessing the
> political hurdles to doing so are high.

I heard the county Health Department closed it down. How in the world would those people have the authority to close any business down. Now, what happens to the 700 backstretch workers who still have to care for the horses with no purse opportunities for the owners. Most, including me, will continue to pay the normal rate -- no turnout -- hoping to keep many jobs.

[johnnym]

https://techstartups.com/2020/03/28/dr-vladimir-zelenko-now-treated-699-coronavirus-patients-100-success-using-hydroxychloroquine-sulfate-zinc-z-pak-update/

Still researching if this is 100% accurate
This was the same protocol the French were using and said it showed positive results