Racetracks ground high-flying jockeys to halt COVID-19 spread

While racetracks carry on without fans in the stands, many are seizing a new captive audience: Jockeys.

Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York, which opened its eight-week summer meeting Thursday, on Tuesday became the first track to unveil a new policy prohibiting jockeys from riding at other racetracks as a measure to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The move to prevent the high-profile frequent fliers from racking up more miles this summer appeared prescient after Del Mar announced Wednesday that 15 jockeys there had tested positive for the disease caused by the new coronavirus, forcing cancellation of all three days of racing this weekend.

That prompted Del Mar to bar riders from outside California from riding at the current meet, suggesting that Northern California jockeys still will be welcome. Racing authorities also imposed restrictions on jockeys from other jurisdictions riding in Maryland and Ohio.

The moves already have had am impact, with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. forced to give up the mount on Dr Post in Saturday’s TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) at Monmouth Park. Joe Bravo, a Monmouth regular, will ride the well-regarded Todd Pletcher-trained colt in his stead.

Joel Rosario also will surrender his ride on Ollie’s Candy in the Aug. 2 Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1) at Del Mar, his agent told the Blood Horse.

Meanwhile, Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is supposed to fly to New Jersey to ride Authentic in the Haskell and in other races at Monmouth Park. But will he do so knowing he would be kissing off the rest of the Del Mar meeting? I would guess not.

In any event, it will pay to keep an eye on which jockeys land where in the coming days to prevent the kind of unwelcome surprise that comes when you realize during a race that the Hall of Famer you thought was guiding your horse is in fact a 10-pound apprentice with one career win.

Baffert fights suspension, DQs

As telegraphed here last week, Arkansas racing officials this week disqualified two horses conditioned by Bob Baffert from purse money and suspended the Hall of Fame trainer for 15 days for positive drug tests.

The horses, Charlatan, winner of a division of the Arkansas Derby on May 2, and Gamine, winner of an allowance race on the same card, both tested positive for the local anesthetic lidocaine.

Baffert’s attorney, Craig Robertson III, called the ruling disappointing and said the trainer would appeal based on the grounds that the drug’s presence was the result of environmental contamination and that the minute levels detected would not have assisted the horses.

“The trace levels of lidocaine found in both Charlatan and Gamine would have had no pharmacological effect, much less a performance-enhancing one, on either horse. Zero,” he said after the ruling.

#RJhorseracing featured races

The jockeys may be grounded, but the #RJhorseracing handicapping crew is winging to both Monmouth Park and Saratoga on Saturday for a taste of Eastern summer racing at its finest. The targets are race six, a maiden special weight race at 1 1/16th mile on the turf at Saratoga for 2-year-olds, and the $300,000 Monmouth Cup Stakes at Monmouth Park at 1 1/8th mile on the main track for 3-year-olds and up.

In the 6th at Saratoga (post time 12:57 p.m. PT; live on TVG), a race with six first-time starters, the handicapping crew is siding with one of them: Rip It, 6-1 on the morning line. They have Zippy Baby (5-1) and Breakthrough (6-1) rounding out the top three.

I’m going with The Right Stuff (4-1), mainly because trainer Wesley Ward Jr. excels with 2-year-olds and wins at a 29 percent clip with first time starters. I’ve got Ward’s other horse, Breakthrough, to place and Nautilus (7-2) to show.

In the Monmouth Cup Stakes (post time 1:40 p.m. PT; live on TVG), the crowd ‘cappers are lining up behind 3-1 morning line favorite Monongahela. They have Bal Harbour (7-2) placing and Global Campaign (9-2) and Harpers First Ride (12-1) tied for the show.

We’re nearly aligned this time, as I see Monongahela and Bal Harbour fighting it out for the win and sharp class-climber Harpers First Ride completing the trifecta.

Mike Brunker’s horse racing column appears Fridays. He can be reached at mbrunker@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker on Twitter.