No Fans for Fall Meet at Keeneland Due to COVID-19

Keeneland announced Sept. 15 that its fall meet from Oct. 2-24 will be closed to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Only a limited number of participants and essential personnel will be permitted to attend, the track stated.

Keeneland conducted its five-day summer meet in July without spectators but did allow a limited number of owners and essential personnel to attend. Last week, Breeders' Cup announced its two-day event at Keeneland Nov. 6-7 will also be held without paid spectators.

The customary race meets at Keeneland in the spring and fall are some of the most well attended of any North American racetrack on a daily basis. Last fall, the track's average daily attendance was 15,449.

The track was forced to cancel its spring meet due to COVID-19, and conducted a unique meet in July to run some of its most important races.

"The safety of our employees, our participants, and our fans remains Keeneland's top priority," Keeneland president and CEO Bill Thomason said in a release. "We have the most loyal fans in the world and we cannot wait for the day when we can welcome them back for live racing. The decision to close the meet to the public was made after consulting with local and state government officials and public health experts and monitoring how various sporting venues and events around the world have operated during the pandemic. With the guidance of these experts and lessons learned from recent events, we know this is the responsible course of action."

Many tracks operating amid COVID-19 are doing so without fans in attendance, including most of the tracks that have run in Kentucky this year. Kentucky Downs is conducting its current meet without fans, and Churchill Downs did not allow fans for its postponed week of racing that culminated with the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) after originally planning to do so in a limited capacity. Ellis Park allowed a small number of fans this summer. 

Other sporting events in the state have begun allowing restricted attendance. The University of Louisville had 11,179 fans at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville for its Sept. 12 game vs. Western Kentucky. The stadium has approximately 60,000 seats.

Other sports or leagues have remained spectatorless. National Football League games across much of the country Sept. 13-14 were played in largely empty stadiums.

"Sunday's kickoff of the 12-day September Yearling Sale, which is followed by the fall meet, the Breeders' Cup World Championships and the November Breeding Stock Sale, marks the beginning of a significant three months of business for Keeneland and the horse industry as a whole," Keeneland president-elect and interim head of sales Shannon Arvin said in the track release. "It is paramount that we conduct our sales and racing operations in a safe and responsible manner that promotes the health and success of everyone involved."

To combat the spread of COVID-19, strict compliance with the following health and safety protocols will be required for participants and employees while they are at Keeneland.

Individuals permitted to come onto the Keeneland grounds will be credentialed or ticketed in advance. Credentialed participants will be assigned a seat for the race day. Seating will be assigned and accommodate social distancing. Participants include those with a competing horse, including a limited number of owners and trainers. Keeneland also will allow limited access to sponsors, box holders, and Club members.

Keeneland will maintain records to allow for contact tracing.

Similar protocols were in place for the summer meet and are in effect for Keeneland's current September Yearling Sale.