Keeneland Announces COVID-19 Protocols for Jockeys

When Keeneland unveiled COVID-19 protocols for jockeys Sept. 1 for its Oct. 2-24 fall meet, the list brought a sigh of relief from the connections of champion Midnight Bisou.

Unable to ride the daughter of Midnight Lute  due to the New York Racing Association's COVID-19 protocols in place for her previous start—a narrow loss in the Aug. 1 Personal Ensign Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course—Hall of Famer Mike Smith plans to be reunited with Midnight Bisou at the Lexington track for her Oct. 4 start in the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1).

Jockeys who plan to ride Oct. 2, opening day of the 17-day meet, will be required to be in Lexington on Sept. 29 and receive a COVID-19 test at Keeneland, but unlike NYRA, which locked down its jockey colony for the entire Saratoga meet, the track will also allow riders to ship in from other jurisdictions. Those who plan to ride there after opening day will need to provide a CDC gold standard RT-PCR COVID-19 nasopharyngeal test confirmed negative within 72 hours of the day of their first race, while a jockey who races at Keeneland and then leaves Kentucky will be required to provide a CDC gold standard RT-PCR COVID-19 nasopharyngeal test confirmed negative within 72 hours of the day of the next race in which he or she plans to ride at Keeneland.

California-based Smith, who is set to ride Honor A. P. in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs, is also slated to ride a few days at Kentucky Downs the following weekend. He said he may remain in Kentucky to ride the full Keeneland meet, depending on his business. Del Mar, where Smith has been riding, wraps its current season Sept. 7, while the Santa Anita Park season begins Sept. 19. 

"I'm excited about that," Smith said of riding at Keeneland. "It sounds like you'll be good to go, as long as you clear the test."

Keeneland will maintain five additional areas in addition to the main jockeys' quarters, permitting riders to be sequestered. These spaces will be organized around specific geographic areas where the jockeys customarily ride, including New York, California, other U.S. jurisdictions, international jurisdictions, and overflow from the main jockeys' quarters for Kentucky-based riders. Except for valets and the clerk of scales, no additional personnel will be permitted in any jockeys' quarters.

Jeff Bloom, whose Bloom Racing Stable co-owns Midnight Bisou with Madaket Stables and Allen Racing, said he is looking forward to getting Smith back in the irons, where he's been for 17 of the mare's past 20 starts. Ricardo Santana Jr. subbed for Smith in the Personal Ensign, where Vexatious upset Midnight Bisou by a neck.

"We had talked a while back about what the expectation was on protocols and all that, so as far as we know it looks like everything's going to be a go for Mike to be able to ride her, barring any unforeseen changes to the protocols," Bloom said. "Ricardo filled in just fine, but Mike's her rider so we're excited and happy it's going to work out that he's going to be able to get back aboard."

According to Bloom, Midnight Bisou will ship from New York to Kentucky toward the later part of September.

"Everything is really good. She's still at Saratoga and she'll hang out there until Keeneland opens up for racehorses to ship in following their sale, and that's where she'll settle in training up to the Breeders' Cup," he said.

Additional Keeneland Protocols Outlined

As with tracks across the country, general jockey protocols at Keeneland related to COVID-19 include the requirement of social distancing at all times, and the wearing of a mask or face covering at all times except when riding in a race or a timed workout in the morning. The mask requirement includes when the rider is in the jockeys' quarters, in the paddock before a race, while being ponied to post, and after the race when returning to the jockeys' quarters. Jockeys will be provided with face coverings. 

Valets, assistant starters, outriders, and pony people will be required to wear masks or face coverings throughout the day, as will everyone who is on the grounds.

When visiting the paddock before a race, jockeys are prohibited from making physical contact aside from a leg up from the trainer or a member of his or her staff.

Jockeys are prohibited from visiting barns in the stable area in the mornings. A rider will only be able to visit the apron area of the main track, the area outside the racing office by the gap, or the paddock. Visits to the Rice Road barn area also are off limits to jockeys. If a jockey wishes to exercise a horse in the morning, he or she will need to meet that mount in the paddock, exercise the horse, then dismount upon exiting the track.

All jockeys will be able to ride with a +3 pound weight allowance because the sauna/steam will be closed.

Boxed lunches will be provided, but no a la carte options are available. Jockeys and valets will be allowed to bring their own food items.

All jockeys' quarters will be sanitized throughout the day and receive another deep cleaning each evening after the rooms are vacated. The products Keeneland is using to disinfect the entire facility is a combination including BioProtect, EvaClean/Puretabs, and P&G's Spic and Span, all of which are EPA-registered.

Keeneland will do a deep sanitization of the starting gate before the fall meet using the aforementioned BioProtect product, which is a disinfectant and provides 90 days of long-term antimicrobial protection (to immediately kill any COVID-19 particles that come into contact with the starting gate). The same product will be used in the jockeys' quarters for the utmost protection of all surfaces after they have been treated. 

Jockeys are to enter Keeneland through Gate 2 on Versailles Road. They will use the track's South Gate entrance next to the welcome center to enter the grounds. Once entries are drawn, their names will be put on a list to be able to access the Keeneland grounds and facility. Once the overnight is released, clerk of scales Javier Torres will decide which jockeys' quarters they will use.

Jockeys will undergo the same medical checks as everyone coming through the Keeneland gates. This will include a temperature check as well as medical screening questions.