Golden Gate Racing On Hold After More COVID-19 Cases

No timetable has been established for a resumption of racing at Golden Gate Fields following a COVID-19 outbreak that halted racing in mid-November. More than 200 people were identified as infected in the first round of tests, mostly backstretch workers, and another 40 tested positive last week, according to a spokesman from the city of Berkeley, Calif.

David Duggan, the vice president and general manager of the Northern California track, said people with asymptomatic cases from the first tests began returning to work Thanksgiving week after isolating. Testing continues, and the results are being monitored by the city's Public Health Division.

"It would be impossible at this point to quantify when live racing may resume," Duggan said.

Matthai Chakko, Berkeley's public information officer, wrote in an email Dec. 3 that more positive cases are anticipated after the 40 identified last week.

"Weekly testing will continue, and we will continue to be very involved in this process until there are no more positive tests. Should testing identify more cases, further investigation and tracing will be done by Berkeley Public Health, and additional isolation and quarantine will be required."

Racing last took place at Golden Gate Nov. 12. The next day, the track announced it had paused racing for a week and later extended that shutdown through the end of November.

"As you can see in the NFL and other sports, it's not like you nail all the positives in the first (go-around)," said Scott Chaney, the executive director of the California Horse Racing Board.

The CHRB leaves COVID-19-related decisions to local health authorities based upon their expertise, Chaney said.

No entries for racing have been taken this month, though training continues for the 1,300 horses stabled at Golden Gate. 

Though most of the people testing positive for COVID-19 at Golden Gate have experienced no symptoms, there are a handful of people who have required hospitalization, according to Bill Patterson, the Golden Gate-based manager for California Thoroughbred Trainers.

"One of the initial cases, a groom, was one of the hardest hit," Patterson said. "He was induced into a coma, put on a ventilator, but he has since come off the ventilator for the past two weeks. He's still recovering. He's off the ventilator but is breathing on his own.

"A few trainers were hospitalized—one of them has recovered fully. She is out now, and a couple others are still in there."

After a period of short staffing following the first round of positive tests, most barns are working with a full staff, Thoroughbred Owners of California wrote in a Thursday email to its membership. Horse owners are not currently permitted for morning workouts at Golden Gate, according to TOC. 

Duggan said the track has "doubled down" in its COVID-19 safety efforts, though he said its protocols have always been a regular focus by The Stronach Group, which owns the track. Not all see that as enough, such as Albany City Council member Rochelle Nason, who wrote in a recent Op-Ed at Berkeleyside.com that Golden Gate's response to the pandemic was "troubling from the start." She called for the track to remain closed until it is deemed a safe place for workers.

Racetrack backstretches present challenges during a pandemic due to people working and often housing in close proximity, though these conditions exist whether a racetrack is running or merely open for training. Other racetracks such as Keeneland and Churchill Downs had spikes in cases at times this year.

"That's the thing about Golden Gate—it's a microcosm of society," CTT executive director Alan Balch said. "It's a contained community in many respects, and this virus is insidious because it spreads from asymptomatic people."

Prior to its shutdown, the track was scheduled to run through Dec. 13 before an approximate two-week break before resuming Dec. 26. Due to the absence of racing, some Golden Gate horses raced late last month at Del Mar, and others will ship to run at Los Alamitos Race Course for its meet that begins Dec. 4.

Both Duggan and Patterson described the COVID-19 situation at Golden Gate as "tough," just as it is for many other places with cases rising.

"Seeing it around the rest of the country and the rest of the state, finally it landed in our own backyard," Patterson said.