LEXINGTON, Ky. _ Saturday was the type of beautiful, sunshiny April day that attracts a crowd of 30,000 or so to Keeneland Race Course for the annual running of the Blue Grass Stakes.
Only this year there is no Blue Grass Stakes.
And, this spring, there is no Thoroughbred racing at Keeneland.
"It's agonizing," Keeneland president Bill Thomason said last week via phone from the basement in his home. Staying at home is something all Keeneland employees are encouraged to do during this coronavirus pandemic.
When the pandemic began to close sports leagues and events in mid-March, the track first announced it would conduct the first part of its Spring Meet without spectators, at least from opening day on April 2 through April 11. That would include the April 4 running of the Blue Grass Stakes, Keeneland's major prep for the Kentucky Derby.
It soon became obvious that was untenable, not just because of CDC guidelines limiting gatherings to fewer than 10 people, but because horses would be shipping into Keeneland from all over, including various known or potential hot spots for the virus.
"If we already had all our horses on the grounds it might have been a different story," Thomason said. "But we had talked to the various health officials and we knew was coming. It became obvious that it would be irresponsible of us to try and hold our Spring Meet."
Since that decision, tracks around the country have dealt with the pandemic in different ways. Gulfstream Park in Florida and Oaklawn Park in Arkansas are still running races without spectators. Aqueduct in New York and Santa Anita Park in California did likewise until operations were ceased by health concerns. NYRA closed Aqueduct after a stable hand tested positive for COVID-19 at Belmont Park. The Los Angeles County Health Department persuaded Santa Anita to stop racing.
It's not that Keeneland is empty. There are still 600 horses and 150 grooms at the facility. To ensure their safety, said Thomason, Keeneland has used enhanced disinfectant and sanitation protocols. No one is allowed on the premises without a temperature check upon entrance. Those who are allowed on the grounds must wear a band that is good for one day only.
"We have no incidents that we know of that are virus-related," Thomason told the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission on Thursday.
Without racing, Thomason said Keeneland has looked for other ways to remain involved in the community. It joined FoodChain, the E.E. Murry Family Foundation and VisitLex to form Nourish Lexington, "an initiative to utilize hospitality workers recently unemployed due to the COVID-19 closings," to help provide meals. Keeneland might also be used as a regional COVID-19 drive-thru testing site, though details have not yet been finalized with the state.
In a letter to Keeneland's fans, Thomason said that with the cancellation of the Spring Meet, the track was looking at the possibility of requesting additional race dates. That's on hold right now, he said Thursday, not just because of the pandemic but because other tracks have been forced to rearrange their schedules as well, including Churchill Downs moving the Kentucky Derby to Sept. 5.
"There's nothing about this racing season that's going to be normal," Thomason said. "What we want to do is provide the best opportunities possible for our horsemen. We're going to have to do a reset of our whole racing structure, not just inside Kentucky but in places like New York and California, as well."
Indeed, the dates committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission said Thursday it was not yet in a position to act on future racing dates. At his Friday briefing, Gov. Andy Beshear indicated that until the virus numbers slow he doesn't believe tracks could consider spectator-less racing. Bob Elliston, Keeneland's vice president for racing, told the KHRC on Thursday that if the track conducted its Fall Meet without spectators, it would only be able to disburse $2 million in purses (as a starting point) rather than $12 million expected with spectators. "Our purse agreements are different than most tracks," Elliston said.
And what about the Breeders' Cup? Keeneland is scheduled to be the host for the annual meeting of the world's top horses on Nov. 6-7. As it did in 2015, the track plans to build chalets and other temporary structures for the event, which is expected to attract crowds of up to 45,000.
"Construction on those are not scheduled to begin until mid-June," Thomason said. "So we still have a window there."
The problem right now, as is the problem in every other facet of life right now, is the uncertainty.
"We know we're going to be OK," Thomason said. "But our primary concern right now is we know we have to keep people safe. And that's what we're trying to do."
