Del Mar Cancels Racing July 17-19 Due to COVID-19

Del Mar has preemptively canceled its upcoming weekend of racing—July 17-19—after 15 jockeys tested positive for COVID-19. All of Del Mar's jockeys and jockey room personnel were tested July 14 by San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency staff as requested by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club.

Joe Harper, CEO of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, confirmed the Southern California track will be "taking the weekend off."

This weekend cards were to include the July 18 San Diego Handicap (G2) featuring the return of Maximum Security and the July 19 Eddie Read Stakes (G2T).

"After a good number of jockeys tested positive out of the Los Alamitos meet we decided to test everyone in the room," he said. "We took a look at the entries … and decided to take the weekend off. They have to stay out for 10 days, but if the riders don't show any symptoms and are asymptomatic, but with a clear test can ride."

Harper praised the work done by the medical and administrative staff of the San Diego County Health Department as well as the Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego with assisting with the testing.

"We are doing what we think is right," Harper said. "We are listening to the doctors, not the politicians. We will be vigilant." 

"Assuming these individuals continue to show no symptoms, they will be isolated for a total of 10 days and should be able to resume their usual activities, including riding after that time," said Dr. Eric McDonald, medical director, Epidemiology & Immunizations Services, County of San Diego.

"Racing will return July 24," Harper said hopefully. "Canceling this weekend's races will give us additional time to monitor the situation and give the individuals who tested positive additional time to recover."

Based on DMTC protocols, as well as direction from medical advisers and county public health officials, the testing was administered by county medical staff. Contact tracing procedures are underway in conjunction with the San Diego Health & Human Services Agency.

A common factor among all but one of the riders that tested positive is that they rode at the recently concluded Los Alamitos meet. Del Mar officials ordered the testing of all the jockeys and jockeys' room personnel after two riders, Flavien Prat and Victor Espinoza, tested positive for COVID-19.

"We made the decision to test everyone as part of protocols we have developed in conjunction with local medical experts and the San Diego County Health & Human Services Agency," said Josh Rubinstein, Del Mar Thoroughbred president and COO. "We put these measures in place to help ensure the safety of all workers at Del Mar and our surrounding community."

Because of the Health Insurance Privacy and Portability Act, Del Mar is not allowed to release the names of the affected riders.

In a further safety measure, only jockeys based in California will be permitted to ride at Del Mar for the remainder of the meeting. Jockeys from jurisdictions outside of California will not be allowed to ride at Del Mar. The measure to restrict the riding colony follows a similar announcement by the New York Racing Association concerning jockeys at Saratoga Race Course. Under Del Mar's new policy, until further notice, local jockeys who leave the track to ride at other venues will not be allowed to ride again at Del Mar for the remainder of the summer racing meeting.

Additionally, Del Mar officials are re-configuring and expanding the track's jockeys' quarters, including moving some of the functions that normally take place in the jockeys' room to an adjacent area.

Del Mar has been providing health screening, monitoring, and testing resources for barn area workers and essential personnel during its summer meet, which is being held for the first time in the track's 81-year history without spectators. The meet began July 10 and will conclude Sept. 7.

Del Mar's health and safety protocols have been formulated with direct input from medical experts in the community.

The Thoroughbred Owners of California said they are in agreement with Del Mar's measures.

"TOC strongly supports the actions taken today by the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in conjunction with the San Diego County Department of Health," TOC said in a Del Mar release. "The health of our riders is our top priority now."