Jockey Javier Castellano tests positive for coronavirus, was to ride in Florida Derby
Try as it might, horse racing can’t sidestep the coronavirus pandemic.
Prominent jockey Javier Castellano has tested positive for the coronavirus, his agent John Panagot tweeted Thursday morning. Panagot said that Gulfstream Park required that Castellano take a physical on Monday. Following the physical, Castellano took a COVID-19 test on Tuesday.
“Javier is asymptomatic and feels fine and healthy,” Panagot tweeted. “He jogged 3 miles Wednesday and looked forward to the weekend. He will self-isolate until he is medically cleared.”
Panagot has since deleted the tweet, but horse racing writer Bill Finley tweeted that “Gulfstream executive Bill Badget said the meet will continue despite Javier Castellano coming down with virus. Badgett said Castellano had not been at GP since March 15, so there’s no reason to believe he infected other jockeys, horsemen or GP employees.”
The 42-year-old Castellano has won the Preakness Stakes twice, aboard Exaggerator in 2016 and Cloud Computing in 2017. He rode Cathryn Sophia to win the Kentucky Oaks in 2016. And he won the Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2004 aboard Ghostzapper.
Castellano was scheduled to ride Candy Tycoon in Saturday’s Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park.
Bradley Weisbord, 34-year-old racing manager for Al Shaqab Racing, revealed this week that he had tested positive for coronavirus and described on Twitter what the infection was like, saying that at times “you think it’s better off to be dead.”
In other horse racing notes:
▪ Turfway Park announced Wednesday after the “Healthy at Home” directive from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear that it would cancel the remainder of its winter meet. Tufway had been running without spectators, including the Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 14, and originally planned to finish its meet on March 28. Turfway Park’s owner, Churchill Downs, made the announcement.
▪ Tiz the Law is the 6-5 favorite for Saturday’s running of the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. Ete Indien is second choice at 4-1. Independence Hall is third choice at 9-2.
Tiz the Law was an impressive winner of the Holy Bull Stakes last time out. He is owned by the same connections that campaigned 2003 Kentucky Derby winner Funny Cide. Ete Indien won the Fountain of Youth Stakes. Independence Hall was second in the Sam F. Davis Stakes.
Here’s a look at the full field for the Florida Derby. America’s Best Racing has a cheat sheet on Saturday’s race.
NBC Sports Network will carry Saturday’s Florida Derby, with a post time of 6:36 p.m.
▪ Gulfstream Park denies that it threatened legal action should the Hallandale Beach city council try to shut down racing. Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana told the Sun Sentinel that the track had made the threat. But Badget, executive director of Florida racing operations for the Stronach Group, denied that claim.
“Our priority during the challenging times is the health and well-being of our employees and the horses we all love and care for,” Badget told the newspaper.
▪ The Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation is calling for donations to assist backstretch workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The foundation said all donations would be designated for COVID-19 until further notice.
A backstretch worker at Belmont Park tested positive for coronavirus last week, prompting NYRA to shut down racing at Aqueduct. That suspension has been extended through April 5, which will cause the April 4 Wood Memorial to be postponed until a later date.
“The foundation’s current priority is addressing the immediate need to stock food pantries at racetracks around the country, and it is coordinating with the Race Track Chaplaincy of America in this effort,” said the Jockey Club Safety Net Foundation in a release.
Those who would like to contribute should visit tjcfoundation.org/donate. The foundation says that because of the COVID-19 outbreak, checks cannot be accepted at this time. All donations are tax-deductible.
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 11:39 AM.
