The COVID Triple Crown


by Katherine O. Rizzo Te Preakness Stakes is by far the biggest rac-


ing day on the Maryland schedule each year. It is the day when the world descends on Mary- land to see if that year’s Kentucky Derby win- ner will make it one step closer to becoming part of Triple Crown history. Te week lead- ing up to the Preakness is always an exciting one with racing fans getting a chance to look behind the scenes of Pimlico through Sunrise Tours, industry leaders highlighting excellence through the Alibi Breakfast awards and of course, two days packed full of stakes races and fun on Black-Eyed Susan and Preakness Day. But this year is different, as the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown one giant wrench into the Triple Crown.


The “Triple Crown”


As the world came to a halt this spring, the Mary- land Jockey Club made the decision to move the Preak- ness Stakes to October 3 this year. Traditionally, the Preakness is the second race in the Triple Crown and is run mid-May. Te Belmont Stakes, normally the last race in the series, decided to run on June 20, though the race distance was shortened, and the Kentucky Derby moved to September 5. Tus, the 2020 Triple


to recover and also more time to train between races. All these changes have Motion stating, “Tere will need to be an astrix next to this year because of how different the schedule is. It will be interesting to watch it all play out.”


Fall Stakes Schedule One positive to the Preakness move is that


the various Preakness Week stakes races are moving to the fall as well. Trainer Katy Voss stated, “Tere are loads of opportunities for the


stakes horses starting


Crown will be run in a com- pletely different order: Bel- mont, Derby and then Preak- ness. Te change certainly breaks with tradition and brings up a whole host of questions, uncer- tainties and excitement related to what the 2020 Triple Crown will actually look like. “Te Triple Crown is completely upside


“When we won [the Kentucky Derby] with Animal Kingdom, he had never run on dirt before. Now, you have more developed horses that have more experi- ence running [in the Derby and Preakness].” - Graham Motion


in September.” Voss is cur- rently looking to run a few horses in the new Preakness Week stakes races. Motion agrees stating, “it’s a bonus to have so many stakes races to point to this fall.” Trainer Phil Shoenthal stated that the Preak- ness move does not have a huge effect on most mid- Atlantic trainers adding, “for every person who was unhappy with the change you have someone who is happy [about it].”


Shoenthal


pointed out that some trainers had horses ready to run in May


down this year,” trainer Graham Motion stated. “With two races in the fall, you are going to see a deeper field of more accomplished horses.” Motion, who won the 2011 Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, pointed out that most horses are barely three-years-old when the Derby typically runs. “When we won with Animal Kingdom, he had never run on dirt be- fore. Now, you have more developed horses that have more experience running,” he said. Motion predicts that the fall races will cre-


ate more competitive fields at both the Derby and Preakness. He also pointed out the longer time between each race gives horses more time


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while others have horses that have benefited from having more time to develop for fall stakes. Shoenthal’s biggest concern about stakes races in general for 2020 is funding the purses. “We as horse- man really need to have a conver- sation about the purses,” he said pointing out that a large amount of purse money comes from slots. “Te casinos were closed for so long and this has had a big impact on how much money is available. We need to figure out the best way to utilize what money there is.” Voss pointed out that the industry has lost


around 20% of the year’s purse funds due to the lack of revenue from slots.


Racing During COVID As many in the horse industry have found,


trying to run some sort of normal operations during this pandemic is basically impossible. But as others in Maryland’s equine industry have also done, Maryland’s racing industry has found ways to adapt and keep on running. Troughout the pandemic, the Maryland Jock-


ey Club has issued “COVID-19 Quarantine Updates” with various changes to procedures in order to continue with live racing. Currently, live Toroughbred racing is at Laurel Park only, with the summer Timonium meet being moved to Laurel Park and a fall Preakness meeting to be run at Pimlico still in the works. MJC has limited who can come onto the


track and how long individuals can remain in various areas such as the paddock, stables and along the rail. Temperature check points are also being used and face masks are mandatory with jockeys pulling them down once in the starting gate. “We are being a lot more cau- tious than many other people in the state,” Voss stated. But this cautiousness is what is keeping Maryland’s racing industry open for business. “We were so fortunate so far but [COV-


ID-19] isn’t over yet and the most important thing is for all of us not to get careless,” Voss added. Shoenthal said CO-


“We were so fortunate so far but [COVID-19] isn’t over yet and the most important thing is for all of us to not get careless.” - Katy Voss


VID-19 has only slightly changed his schedule this year and he has been ship- ping horses to other tracks. “Some of these tracks you have to just drop the horse off with a trainer there so there are added costs,” he said, adding, “If you have enough will, there is a way and you just do what you have to do to get it done.” Motion however stated


that some of these re- strictions have made him think twice about where he ships his horses. “Most


tracks are not letting you bring your own team so you have to really trust who is there working your horses. Tat’s hard for a trainer to do and


THE EQUIERY A MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION | SEPTEMBER 2020 | 19 continued...


Ryan Lasak


MTHA photo


Katherine O. Rizzo


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