Woodbine Shuts Down Barn Due to COVID-19 Positives

Woodbine has shut down a barn on its backstretch due to COVID-19 positives, as the Toronto track's racing season remains delayed while the province is under lockdown due to the pandemic.

Track officials said April 23 that 20 workers on the backstretch had tested positive for the virus as of Friday afternoon. The track shut down Barn 33 and said all personnel from that barn are in quarantine, while Woodbine CEO Jim Lawson said Friday that a number of the horses stabled in that barn were shipped out to a local training center.

Lawson addressed the Woodbine community Friday during an episode of "Stronger Together," an event series created by the track to "help further provide transparency, open communication, and a healthy dialogue on important topics for racing leaders and participants." 

Woodbine's 2021 season has been indefinitely delayed as the result of a Provincial State of Emergency declared April 7 by the government of Ontario, which includes a province-wide 28-day stay-at-home order. The meet was scheduled to begin April 17.

"No question, we have a very serious situation on our hands," Lawson said. "We have to take this very seriously and adopt measures. There are other barns that have positives in them, and we're going to be stepping up and taking measures as it relates to those barns. We're going to have to be stronger together and get through this. We're in a very precarious situation."

Unlike many tracks in the United States that have resumed racing, Woodbine had zero COVID-19 positives on its backstretch during the six-month span in which it conducted racing last year, Lawson said. During racing in November, one jockey tested positive for COVID-19 after contracting the virus outside the track. 



"We now have an outbreak and there's no point in sugar coating it," Lawson said. "The numbers are growing. It's a very concerning situation. We're going to have to step in immediately and take measures."

Woodbine is working with Toronto Public Health to continue to provide essential care to the horses on the backstretch. Lawson said the track will distribute masks, promote double masking, and dedicate security personnel to enforcing protocols. 

"We certainly have to work closely with Toronto Health in light of the fact that we do have an outbreak," Lawson said. "We need to work cooperatively with them. … We are providing essential care for horses but under Section 22, Toronto Health does have the authority to close businesses down."

Woodbine has also been in touch with Golden Gate Fields about their protocols; the Northern California track was forced to suspend racing for more than a month in late December and early January while dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak of more than 300 COVID-19 cases on its backstretch.

"The barn closing was something we did, and I'll tell you why we did it—we need to be proactive," Lawson said. "The government people are very good to work with, they're understanding, but you need to be proactive and show them that you're taking the steps you need to take. … When we do these things on our own … these are showing Public Health that we're taking it seriously and taking the right steps, and when you do that, they're prepared to work with you instead of stepping in. In order for us to be able to continue to provide essential care for the horses, we need to show Toronto Public Health we're taking measures."

Lawson urged anyone stabled at Woodbine to prepare a secondary plan in case additional barn closures are required.

"We're continuing to work with the HBPA to make sure that the horses are cared for and looked after, and that certainly is a primary concern. It's a number one priority," he said. "We do not want any more barn closures but the reality of the situation is … Horse people have to have a plan for what they're going to do if they do get shut down. If the pandemic impact on our backstretch increases, there may be a need for more horses to ship out, and we're encouraging all trainers to have a plan for what they're going to do with their horses if we're forced to shut additional barns down."

Lawson also urged backside workers to cooperate with increased screening measures, masking, and questionnaires.

"People have to be transparent with the people they work with, with the HPBA, and with Woodbine," he said. "If you're not feeling well, you've got to tell people, and you've got to stay home. If there's someone in your house that is not feeling well, you've got to stay home. ...  I can tell you, day by day I'm learning of COVID-19 cases where people have not been telling the truth on the questionnaire entering the backstretch. That's so disappointing. It's happened more times than I'd like to think is possible. It's really something that needs to change and needs to change now. 

"People understand, people are sympathetic. This is a very serious health pandemic. There's no shame in being sick. If you're not feeling well, stay home." 

Thoroughbred horsepeople in Ontario now have the opportunity to access certain purse funds that remain available under the Long-Term Funding Agreement with Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation as a result of the suspension of live racing in the province, Ontario Racing announced Friday.

The funds made available in the form of equine support payments correlate directly to Long-Term Funding Agreement purse funds that have been foregone as a result of the lockdown measure from the period of late April to early May. If live racing is still prohibited under provincial orders related to the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of May, a new round of funding will be available to Thoroughbred horse people (subject to approvals) with new requirements for eligibility. 

The aforementioned funds were already committed to the industry through the Funding Agreement for Live Horse Racing between Ontario Racing and OLG. 

LINK: Equine Benefit Payments Now Available to Horsepeople

"We are pleased to be able to provide these Thoroughbred equine benefit payments," said John Hayes, chair of Ontario Racing. "Horse racing, like so many other industries, continues to be greatly impacted by COVID-19. The Ontario Racing team, OLG, and industry representatives remain committed in assisting horsepeople and horses throughout the province. We appreciate your patience and support as we continue to navigate these unprecedented times for our industry."