Loading ...Mar 17 2020
Kentucky Derby officially postponed until September 5.
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Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Churchill Downs officially announced the postponement of the Kentucky Derby until September 5, at which point the coronavirus causing global panic will have been magically cured. Governor Larry Hogan followed suit and decreed the Preakness postponed to September as well.
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The only prior postponement of the famous Triple Crown was in 1945 when FDR decreed a wartime ban on horse racing until June. In that case, the Derby was only a month late. This time it will presumably be 4 months late if they actually do run it this year. The importance at that point will be questionable, weeks after the last meaningful 3yo race of the year, the Travers at Saratoga, is normally run.
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Of course, the decision is purely financial. Government dictators in multiple US states have decreed small businesses being shut down and banned travel. Many are staying home out of sheer panic. In the current state of affairs, there is just no way that Churchill Downs and Louisville can possibly bring in enough attendees to make it worth the month-long fanfare production normally leading up to the race and the expenses required.
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It’s unclear what will happen exactly to the remaining races and tracks across the US. Keeneland has already canceled its legendary spring meet which always culminates in the Grade 2 Bluegrass Stakes in early April, an important Derby prep race. Other tracks are also closing or contemplating cancellations. For now the Belmont Stakes is still on but the date is subject to change.
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The Triple Crown this year, if it ever does run it’s course, will be one for the history books, and have asterisks on all the pages. We’ll keep watch of course, as required by our business, as to what tracks and races are still open. But it could well be that this Grade 2 weekend’s Louisiana Derby is the last big 3yo race in a while, which is probably the reason it has an overflow field and could be run in 2 divisions ala the Risen Star.
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