Colonial Downs Cancels Meet Due to COVID-19 Positives

Colonial Downs announced Aug. 14 the cancellation of its meet, citing the result of recent COVID-19 test results.

The Virginia track had canceled racing Aug. 11-12 after a jockey tested positive. Daily Racing Form reported that rider was meet leader Trevor McCarthy and that other test results apply within the riding colony.

"Colonial Downs Group places the health and safety of our team, partners, and visitors as our top priority," read a statement issued from the track early Friday night. "We established thorough protocols prior to the 2020 racing season to address any issues that may arise from the coronavirus pandemic. As a result of recent test results at the track in New Kent County, and in an abundance of caution, Colonial Downs is canceling the remainder of its 2020 meet.

"In making our decision, we collaborated with the Virginia Department of Health, Virginia Horsemen's Benevolent Protection Association, and Virginia Racing Commission. We have communicated the outcome with all participating parties. We sincerely appreciate everyone's cooperation and support. This was a difficult decision but the best one for Virginia's racing community. We are already starting to make plans for the 2021 meet at Colonial Downs and are optimistic for a safe return in a better health environment for our nation, state, and community."

The Colonial Downs meet, which began July 27, already had two days of racing canceled due to weather conditions. The July 17 opening-night card was canceled due to extreme heat, and the Aug. 4 card was canceled due to heavy rain from Tropical Storm Isaias. The meet was scheduled to continue until Sept. 2.

Del Mar suspended racing for a week last month after 15 jockeys tested positive for COVID-19, though the track was able to quickly resume racing without incident. This summer, many tracks have closed their jockeys' rooms to out-of-state riders in an effort to decrease the chance of infection.