Buffalo Raceway To Race On Wednesday

by Brian J. Mazurek, for Buffalo Raceway

 HAMBURG, N.Y. --- After getting clearance from the New York State Gaming Commission, Buffalo Raceway will resume live harness racing on Wednesday evening (June 3) with post time set for 6 p.m.  Wednesday racing, which usually has a 5 p.m. start, was shifted to 6 p.m. for the remainder of the schedule.

 The half-mile oval, located at the Erie County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, will have racing on Wednesday and Saturday nights at 6 p.m. until the conclusion of the campaign on Saturday, July 18.

 The first night of racing on Wednesday will have a $5,000 guarantee in the Pick 5 which begins in the second race.

 The draw for Wednesday's card will be on Monday (June 1) with the box closing at 9 a.m. The draws will then be on Wednesday for Saturday cards and on Saturday for the Wednesday programs. Condition sheets for the week can be found under the horsemen's tab at www.buffaloraceway.com

 The public or individual horsemen shall not be allowed in the grandstand, clubhouse, apron or general seating areas. There will be no viewing of races from any vehicle or in any building or parking lot on the facility grounds.

 Wagering on Buffalo Raceway will be available at various Advance Deposit Wagering (ADW) and simulcast outlets throughout North America.

 "We look forward to get back to racing," said Buffalo Raceway Director of Operations Jon Cramer said. "Everyone is anxious to get started again. We want to give everyone an opportunity to race and stay safe."

 There is a pre-approved list for people entering the backstretch and paddock area and all will have their temperature checked as well. People should give themselves plenty of time in arriving to the track.  

 A health screening assessment including temperature check shall be performed on all horse people, track employees and commission employees off McKinley Parkway before entering the stable area.

 Each and every participant will be asked if he or she has been sick (i.e. fever above 100.0, cough, fatigue) for the last 14 days. If there is a yes or a participant's temperature is above 100.0, they will not be admitted and will be required to leave the Buffalo Raceway premises. In order to return, written medical clearance must be presented.

 Masks must be worn at all times and hand sanitizers will be placed throughout the backside. Trainers must provide masks and gloves for their employees. The track will have people helping the horsemen, enforcing policies and sanitizing areas.

 Guests, visitors, owners, children or any individuals not directly associated with conducting live racing will not be admitted to the stable area or paddock at Buffalo Raceway on any day.  

 Note on the post time schedule, there will be more time allocated between races four and five and races eight and nine. This will provide sufficient time for the horses to enter the paddock and warm up for the next set of four races and to reasonably sanitize 'high touch' areas.

 Buffalo Raceway will conform to all governmental policies and guidelines for personal protection efforts.

 There is also a ship-in limitation of 75 miles and no horses from Canada or out of state will be allowed. 

 Buffalo Raceway has also relinquished their New York Sire Stakes dates for the 2020 season.

 "We need and anticipate everyone's cooperation," Cramer said of the guidelines set down by New York State and Buffalo Raceway.  

 For complete information including all the policies and procedures, go to www.buffaloraceway.com

MEADOWLANDS QUALIFIERS SET FOR SATURDAY, LIVE RACING SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 5

Meadowlands Media Relations

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – With the coronavirus having cost the Meadowlands 12 weeks of racing – a total of 24 racing days – there is no doubt Saturday (May 30) morning’s qualifiers will be received in a big way. They will serve to remind us all that racing is coming back. They will serve as a step back to normalcy.

“COVID-19 has had such an incredibly horrific impact on so many people, and that includes all of us in the harness racing business,” said Meadowlands Chief Operating Officer and General Manager Jason Settlemoir. “Many of us have lost friends and loved ones while so many horsemen have had to scrape by during the last three months as they continued to feed and care for their horses, not knowing when they would be able to get back to work and make some money to care for their families. We cannot change the bad things that COVID-19 has already done to us as an industry and a society, but we must move forward, because now that we are able, it’s time to get back to work.”

The first of what figures to be many Saturday qualifiers at the Big M will kick off at 10 a.m. For those interested, the entry box for the qualifiers closes at 10 a.m. Friday morning. Moving forward, any qualifiers after Saturday will take place only with regulatory approval.

Pari-mutuel racing at the Meadowlands is scheduled to resume on Friday, June 5 at 7:15 p.m., and once it does, live action will take place every Friday and Saturday throughout June and July with a first-race post time of 7:15 p.m. At this time, the dates are pending regulatory approval. Of course, given what is now known as the “new normal”, there will be no fans allowed inside the Big M for the foreseeable future.

“Because of safety concerns, we will not be able to have our fans come to the track to see the races,” said Settlemoir. “But we look forward to our faithful betting the races on their favorite app or online platform. As always, we are happy that our races will be shown nightly on TVG across the country. For those who might not have access to TVG, the Roberts Television Network (RTN) also carries our races live.

“COVID-19 was – hopefully – a once-in-a-lifetime event. All of us at the Meadowlands are thinking about everyone affected by the loss of life during the course of the pandemic, and want everyone to know that we will conduct our business at the Meadowlands in the safest way possible for our employees and horsemen, so that we can adjust to the new normal, and then, ultimately, one day, return to life as we knew it.”

Harness Horsemen Ready to Go Back To Work

Plan to safely race sent to IL. Dept. of Health & Governor

HINSDALE, IL—Thousands of workers employed in the harness racing industry are waiting to take to the track again to race without fans in the grandstand. Members of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association (IHHA) have worked with the Illinois Department of Agriculture, the Illinois Department of Public Health and Hawthorne Racetrack to devise a safe, effective way to resume live racing.

“Live racing, without a live audience poses virtually zero risk and we are anxious and hopeful that the green light will be given soon for us to be off and running,” said Clark Fairley, President of the IHHA. “Governor Pritzker has assured us that our plan is being reviewed, so we’re hopeful that any day we can move forward.”

Illinois is one of the few states that has not announced an opening date to resume live horseracing in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Indeed, horse racing is one of the few professional sports that is uniquely positioned to return since there is very little person to person contact in the first place. Racing enthusiasts note that the backstretch of Hawthorne Racetrack is already deemed an essential agricultural business since animals must be cared for every day. They also say that resuming live races would only add a handful of people to the track all of whom would be socially distanced.

“We’re working without paychecks right now,” said Trainer Angie Coleman. “Horses still need to eat, they need to exercise, and be cared for. Trainers and grooms have been working at the track, keeping six feet apart, wearing face coverings, and disinfecting common areas. We just want to be able to put on the show and earn a living.”

People who work in the horse racing industry are paid through purses, or race winnings. The sport is labor intensive and also supports thousands of small farmers who provide grain and hay for feed and bedding. 

“Training horses is a 365 day a year job. We only get to race and earn money for 92 days of live racing a year and we’ve already lost 25% of that. We believe we can return to racing while doing it in a safe environment,” said Fairley.  

A rigorous and exhaustive plan including temperature screening, face coverings, social distancing in barns and on the track, is already in place. Only the bare minimum of essential staff including trainers, grooms, drivers, and stewards will be on site.

“These essential workers are doing their jobs without pay. Let’s broadcast the races so the public can wager online and small business employees can earn a living. We’re ready, it’s safe, let’s do this,” said Coleman.