In welcome news, Belmont Park’s spring/summer meet will officially begin on June 1. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced at his daily news conference on Saturday that live horse racing can now resume in the state.
“There’ll be guidelines for the actual participants — no crowds, no fans,” he said. “For the industry itself, for the televised viewers, that could still work.”
The news comes after New York Racing Association officials announced last month that they had plans in place to “prioritize the health and safety of employees, horsemen and the backstretch community.”
NYRA’s Covid-19 Preparedness and Response Plan Committee — comprising NYRA staff members, representatives from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the Backstretch Employee Service Team and the New York Race Track Chaplaincy of America — has already implemented a number of safety initiatives, including daily temperature checks, mandating employees wear masks and gloves, and maintaining social distancing.
Additionally, it was announced on May 15 that they had partnered with Northwell Health to secure coronavirus antibody tests for NYRA employees and backstretch workers at Belmont Park. Northwell personnel would administer the tests, and would communicate the results within two days.
“This broad testing program will provide additional insight, allowing us to more fully understand how Covid-19 has impacted our community,” NYRA President David O’Rourke said in a statement. “Going forward, this is a positive step in NYRA’s overall testing program, as we work toward our goal of providing universal access to both diagnostic testing and antibody testing.”
In a statement on its website in April, NYRA officials also wrote that they “are committed to taking every step possible to keep our communities safe, while providing entertainment and contributing to the New York economy as we collectively begin the return to a new normal.”
The Belmont Park main track officially opened for training on May 12.
Belmont joins a group of racetracks across the country to resume live racing. Churchill Downs and Santa Anita opened their spring meets Friday, and news of Maryland’s return is pending.
While the date for the 145th Preakness will be announced today, there is no word on a new date for this year’s Belmont Stakes scheduled for June 6.
Past The Wire Staff
Photo: Belmont Park. Credit: Coglianese Photos
