Ready to Race: Start-Up Dates for North American Tracks

GOLDEN GATE FIELDS has 80 horses entered on its nine-race card May 14, its first day of racing since operations were shut down April 2 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The northern California track is one of several tracks in the US that will usher in horse racing, without spectators, this week. Charles Town in West Virginia and iconic Churchill Downs is set to open May 16.

A couple of major circuits, notably NYRA, has yet to issue an opening day of racing at Belmont Park. Santa Anita expects to take entries on May 12 for May 15, but as of Monday morning, eastern time, had yet to receive the green light from the county.

Scroll to continue with content

In Canada, ASSINIBOIA DOWNS will be the first track to race as it is set to begin May 25. The Winnipeg track will have racing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.

WOODBINE is easing into advancements as this week it will allow gate schooling (no workouts from the gate) and a condition book will be issued at the end of the week. The Woodbine race office requested trainers to submit a list of horses that are race ready and their conditions to it can formulate racing cards that will offer the best sized fields.

There have not been any timed workouts for horses at Woodbine since late March, although horses have been working for a week. It would seem that there would be at least a couple of weeks of timed workouts before Woodbine gets started.

FORT ERIE’s season was expected to open May 26 (Tuesday) but it has not allowed timed workouts yet, so that start date is very much tentative.

MARQUIS DOWNS in Saskatoon has lost a number of race dates. It was set to open on May 29 but all of its dates through the end of June have been cancelled.

HASTINGS PARK opened 10 days ago for training (again) and has not had timed workouts and therefore its May 26 opening is up in the air.

CENTURY MILE has had plenty of training days and timed workouts. There were a whopping 139 horses on the worktab on Saturday, May 9.

Alberta leaders are tentatively about to open some businesses on May 14, including hair salons, so it is likely horse racing will be able to get going in the next couple of weeks.

Track Scheduled/Tentative Opening

Assiniboia Downs – May 25
Belmont Park – TBD
Canterbury Park – Early June
Century Mile – TBD
Charles Town – May 14
Churchill Downs – May 16
Golden Gate Fields – May 14
Delaware Park – May 27 (tentative)
Fort Erie – May 28 (tentative)
Hastings Park – TBD
Indiana Grand – June 14
Emerald Downs – June 22
Laurel Park – TBD
Lone Star Park – Mid-May (tentative)
Louisiana Downs – June 6
Marquis Downs – July (tentative)
Monmouth Park – July 3
Mountaineer Park – May 31
Parx Racing – TBD
Penn National – TBD
Prairie Meadows – TBD
Presque Isle Downs – June 8
Ruidoso Downs – May 22
Santa Anita Park – May 15 (tentative)
Woodbine – Mid-June (tentative)