Thayer Urges KY Governor to Allow Racing to Resume

Kentucky State Sen. Damon Thayer (a Georgetown Republican) continues to urge Gov. Andy Beshear to allow for a plan to resume horse racing in the state, perhaps as early as mid-May.

Beshear has maintained that strict compliance with state guidelines is necessary to save lives. Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, Kentucky has been under a state of emergency since early March. Nonessential businesses are shuttered, and mass gatherings are prohibited, among other restrictions. During his April 15 briefing, however, Beshear was moving toward creating a plan, along with neighboring states, to reopen the regional economies beginning in May.

Thayer believes racing can be conducted in a safe manner under restrictions like not allowing fans.

"Racing is such a critical part of our economy, and everything is driven by the ability of horses to earn purses," Thayer told BloodHorse April 17. "And if they can do this in Arkansas and Florida and other states, I know we can do it in Kentucky at Churchill Downs and the rest of our tracks on the circuit."

Thayer, the Senate majority floor leader, has been a proponent of racing for many years. Before entering politics, he worked in the horse racing industry in various positions, most notably as vice president of event management for Breeders' Cup. He said the impact of the industry in the state is a valuable part of the economy. According to the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association, the racing industry has a $33.6 million impact on employment in the state and generates $115 million in tax revenue annually.

Racing continues in a handful of states, but it has been conducted without spectators and under careful guidelines pertaining to the health and safety of those working at the tracks. Oaklawn Park in Arkansas has been racing without fans and nonessential personnel on the grounds since March 15. Gulfstream Park and Tampa Bay Downs in Florida also have continued to race under similar guidelines despite pressure from local government officials.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump announced federal guidelines for governors to follow in reopening their economies. Under the president’s plan, phase one for states ready to reopen would see large venues like restaurants, movie theaters, sporting venues, and places of worship to reopen if they "operate under strict physical distancing protocols," according to the guidelines.

"I certainly would urge the governor to consider letting Churchill Downs open back up as soon as possible, as early as mid-May without spectators, and then following the president's plan that was lined out yesterday," Thayer said. "Eventually, go back to running with spectators with strict (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) protocols in place until it's ready to go back to normal."

This is not the first time the senator has been outspoken about allowing racing to resume.

"We've got to get horse racing going again soon," he told the Louisville Courier-Journal this week. "Why are other states managing to race without spectators, but Kentucky cannot? … The governor ought to back off a little bit and let our signature industry get back to business."

Keeneland announced March 12 that its spring meet would take place without spectators, but four days later, track officials canceled the meet altogether. Turfway Park, owned by Churchill Downs Inc., ended its meet three days early after racing without spectators. After rescheduling the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) to the first Saturday in September and delaying the opening of its stable areas for training, Churchill Downs announced April 2 that it was prepared for the possibility of racing without spectators when racing is allowed to resume. The opening of the Churchill spring meet, originally scheduled for April 25, has been postponed, with a new opening day to be announced.