Beshear<\/a> and other state officials pushed back, raising concerns about spreading the virus even in a fan-free environment. All the while, Churchill Downs kept pushing the date back for when horsemen would be allowed at the track, until they finally reached an agreement with Beshear Wednesday.<\/p>\n\u201cWe truly appreciate the leadership of Gov. Beshear and all of the hard work and guidance that state and local officials and public health experts have provided us to safely reopen,\u201d said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery in a statement. \u201cThe health and safety of our horsemen, staff, and community remains paramount. Strict compliance with our comprehensive COVID-19 Action Plan and social distancing guidelines is our responsible duty to effectively contain the virus.\u201d<\/p>\n
Critics Say Delay Costly<\/h2>\n
While some greeted Beshear\u2019s announcement with a mix of relief and joy, others have been critical of how the Governor has treated one of the state\u2019s signature industries.<\/p>\n
The Lexington Herald-Leader<\/em> reported Tuesday some racing managers and trainers had grown frustrated with how the situation played out in the Bluegrass State. They cited the other tracks\u2019 record in controlling the spread of COVID-19 as proof that Kentucky should have resumed racing earlier.<\/p>\nState Sen. Damon Thayer (R-Georgetown) told Casino.org<\/em> Wednesday night that the plan Churchill Downs officials put forward was the same one they proposed previously. Thayer, the majority floor leader in the state senate and a former racing executive, said Beshear delayed the start of the meet by two weeks. Thayer has been complimentary of how the Democratic governor has dealt with the coronavirus pandemic. But he has raised concerns about Beshear’s plans for reopening the economy.<\/p>\n\u201cEvery day that goes by without racing means less money flowing to the families of people who are involved in racing, and then spending it in our economy and money from wagering going to the general fund of Kentucky,\u201d <\/strong>Thayer said. \u201cIt’s disappointing. I think it was avoidable, and we could have accelerated this.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\nChurchill Downs\u2019 release states that when it starts racing, it will do so for a minimum of four days a week. Thayer hopes track officials will consider racing an extra day, and even add races beyond the typical nine- or 10-race card to make up for the lost time.<\/p>\n
The meet will end on June 27.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s important that happens for the sake of the Kentucky circuit as we move into Ellis Park and Kentucky Downs, Keeneland, \u2026and Turfway later in the year,\u201d Thayer said. \u201cWe’ve got to get the circuit back going.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Churchill Downs received approval on Wednesday from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear to open its backstretch to horsemen on May 11. That will mark the first day they can bring horses to the iconic Kentucky track and prepare them for the upcoming spring meet. When exactly that meet will start remains uncertain. Churchill Downs did not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":134466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14577],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Kentucky Gov. Allows Churchill Downs to Prepare for Racing Without Fans<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n