The Run for the Roses will go on: Kentucky Derby postponed to September
Churchill Downs confirmed Tuesday that the Kentucky Derby will be postponed until Labor Day weekend in September because of concerns about the coronavirus. The Louisville racetrack will hold the premier race for three-year-olds on Sept. 5, officials said.
The iconic Thoroughbred race, which is one of the oldest continuously held sporting events in the nation and the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, has traditionally been run on the first Saturday in May.
The Kentucky Oaks, the premier race for three-year-old fillies, will be held on Sept. 4, Churchill Downs said. In fact, the plan is to pick up the entire week of racing that leads up to the big event and move it to September, said Kevin Flanery, Churchill Downs racetrack president.
The dates must be confirmed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which is scheduled to meet on Thursday. Approval is expected, Churchill officials said.
Bill Carstanjen, Churchill Downs Inc. CEO, said that safety of patrons and track personnel is the first priority; no cases of COVID-19 have been linked to any Churchill properties.
“Our hearts are with those that have been affected by the coronavirus,” Carstanjen said. “This pandemic is a stark reminder that the health and safety of our families and communities always comes first.”
“For the second time in the 145-year-old history of the Kentucky Derby, the first time being at the end of World War II, we will move the date of the Derby,” he said. “We sincerely regret any inconvenience this creates for our outstanding fans, whom I’m sure will understand that there is no doubt that this must be done.”
The Kentucky Derby Festival and Thunder Over Louisville, major public events tied to the Derby, also will be postponed. Thunder Over Louisville will be Aug. 15, according to a news release.
The Derby news came a day after Keeneland announced it also would cancel its entire spring meet rather than race without fans.
Keeneland cited new guidance from the CDC issued on Sunday concerning the coronavirus. It warned against holding large events and mass gatherings that include “conferences, festivals, parades, concerts, sporting events, weddings and other types of assemblies.” The CDC recommended that events attended by 50 people or more should be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks.
The U.S. task force on COVID-19 announced Monday that it was recommending that gatherings be restricted to no more than 10 people.
The Kentucky Derby, held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, draws more than 150,000 fans. Over the week leading up to the event, including Kentucky Oaks Day on Friday, the Louisville track draws more than 350,000 — good weather and bad.
Attempting to the hold the race without fans in the stands, as at least two racetracks did over the weekend, apparently would not be a viable option: On-track betting and revenue from premium seating are significant parts of Churchill Downs’ revenue for the event.
As for whether the virus will be contained by September, Carstanjen said he feels “really good” about the date.
“We are going to run the Kentucky Derby and we are going to run it with the crowd. The Kentucky Derby is a participatory event. Its energy and its magic comes from everybody participating and being there to enjoy it,” he said. We’re going to make it happen. This race has happened 145 years in a row, and it’s going to happen 146. We’re going to roll with the punches but we feel very very good that September’s the right date.”
The Kentucky Derby has run consecutively every year since 1875. The last time the Kentucky Derby was not held in May was in 1945, during World War II, when it was held on June 9. A ban on horse racing to help the war effort was instituted on Jan. 3, 1945. Germany surrendered on May 8, 1945. The 71st running of the Derby was held a month later.
The September dates were selected because of there is relatively little sports programming on NBC at that time and because of the availability of hotel rooms in Louisville at that time, Carstanjen said.
The Kentucky Derby is the first jewel of Thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown for three-year-olds.
Carstanjen said that NBC, which airs the races, is in talks with the tracks that hold Preakness and the Belmont about moving them as well.
“They are receptive,” he said. “NBC can make available time to air the races. It may be pretty similar spacing. It’s all possible. They just have to work it out together and I hope they do.”
The Preakness at Pimlico in Maryland would fall in late September and the Belmont at Belmont Park in New York would be in early October, setting up nicely the Breeders’ Cup Championships at Keeneland at Lexington on Nov. 3-4, he said.
Flanery said that Churchill will create a new roster of “Road to the Derby” races to give horses a chance to gain entry.
“We’re going to adjust so the best horses in the best form compete in the Kentucky Derby,” Flanery said.
“This will be fun, and give the fans more time learn about this year’s crop of three-year-olds,” Carstanjen said.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 9:02 AM.
