Triple Crown, Keeneland’s Breeders’ Cup and more takeaways from Kentucky Derby move
The National Thoroughbred Racing Association held a teleconference on Tuesday that was supposed to preview Saturday’s running of the Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds.
Instead, most of the subject matter concerned the announcement earlier in the day that Churchill Downs is postponing the Kentucky Derby until Sept. 5, 2020.
Three takeaways:
1. NTRA president has no problem with racing without fans
NTRA President Alex Waldrop said he was in favor of tracks continuing to race without spectators, if they are able to do so.
“We think it’s a great idea for those tracks that can do it,” said Waldrop. “It’s an opportunity for racing to sell itself to a new audience. There is a dearth of sports betting opportunities right now. There are no sports. This is a time for racing to distinguish itself.”
Many people depend on racing for their jobs, said Waldrop. He added that the NTRA has stressed to tracks that they must take precautions to protect their employees, stable area workers, jockeys, backstretch suppliers and horses.
Waldrop says there is no evidence that horses are hosts for COVID-19. And horses are not impacted by the virus.
On the other hand, Waldrop said he understands why Keeneland chose to cancel its spring meet, which was scheduled to start April 2. The Blue Grass Stakes, a prep for the Kentucky Derby, was scheduled to run April 4.
“I commend folks like Keeneland that decided not to run,” Waldrop. “Keeneland made the determination given the level of community-spread, or transmission in Central Kentucky that it was best that it not go forward with racing.”
NTRA website with COVID-19 information
2. Mark Casse says training plans will change
Mark Casse, trainer of last year’s Preakness winner War of Will and Belmont winner Sir Winston, said it doesn’t really matter to him in which order the Triple Crown will be run.
“I just want to win them,” he said.
In announcing the Derby’s postponement, Churchill Downs officials said NBC was working with both the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes to be run in mid-September and early October to keep the Triple Crown spacing intact. NBC issued a statement saying it was working toward that end but offered no guarantees that would happen.
As for the Derby announcement, Casse said, “It wasn’t a surprise. Given the state of the world right now, there’s drastic measures every day going on. I wasn’t surprised, maybe a little disappointed, but there are things much more important right now than horse racing.”
Casse trains Enforceable and Lynn’s Map, both of which are scheduled to run in the Louisiana Derby. Enforceable won the Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds on Jan. 18. He admitted the move of the Derby to September will cause trainers to alter plans.
“It’s going to change a lot of things,” Casse said. “We geared our horses to try and be ready for the first Saturday in May. This is new territory for all of us, but we’ll get through it.”
3. A September Derby could affect Keeneland’s Breeders’ Cup
If the Kentucky Derby does in fact go off on Sept. 5, with the Preakness run two weeks later and the Belmont three weeks after the Preakness, that would surely affect the Breeders’ Cup, which is scheduled to take place Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland.
“The Triple Crown would make the Breeders’ Cup almost impossible,” Casse said. “It would probably hurt the Belmont more than it would hurt anybody.”
The timing of the Derby would also have an impact on the Travers, which is traditionally run on the final Saturday of August at Saratoga. This year’s Travers is scheduled for Aug. 29.
“I’d be shocked if the Travers is run so close to the Derby,” Casse said.
This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 5:39 PM.
