This means that trainers and owner will have to wait until late in the year to compete with their Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown hopefuls. How will this affect the horses themselves? What will be the consequences for the Triple Crown? EZ Horse Betting has your answers.
An Unprecedented Postponement of the Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is held each year in Kentucky at Churchill Downs. 20 horses take to the track to compete beneath the famous twin spires. More than just an ordinary horse race, the Kentucky Derby introduces the world to horse racing‘s new crop of talented three-year-old runners. Many of these horses will go on to have amazing careers. Others will fade into obscurity with little more than a Kentucky Derby spot to distinguish their racing career.
The race is also known as the first jewel in the American Triple Crown series. In recent years racing fans have been treated to two Triple Crown winners in American Pharoah and Justify. 2020 is not likely to produce a Triple Crown winner due to the coronavirus crisis.
The Kentucky Derby was first held in 1875. The traditional date of the event has always been the first Saturday in May. Only once before has the race been postponed. This happened in 1945 at the 71st running of the event. Due to the World War II the sport of racing was temporarily banned in the US. The resources reserved for conducting race meetings were diverted to the war effort. Nevertheless, by June of that same year things were somewhat back to normal. The 71st Kentucky Derby was held on June 9, 1945.
This year the postponement of the Kentucky Derby will push the event back to September 5, 2020. Many are concerned about how this will affect the Triple Crown racing series in 2020.
Coronavirus and the 2020 Triple Crown
Many horse racing fans and bettors have been wondering how the postponement of the Kentucky Derby will affect the Triple Crown. As of May 2020 it seems that things will proceed as normal, simply delayed.
Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore has announced that it will proceed with the Preakness on October 3, 2020. Belmont Park in New York has also stated that it will delay the running of the Belmont Stakes, but no firm date has been announced. It seems that the Triple Crown races will all take place in their customary order, only later in the year.
The altered schedule could cause some problems for trainers and owners that have been in preparations since last year for the Triple Crown run. Some horses may have to drop out of the series. It is also worth mentioning that the later dates will take the horses involved closer to their fourth year.
The Breeders’ Cup World Championships would also likely suffer as a result of the postponement. It is usually held in November of each year and features some Triple Crown runners. It is unrealistic to think that trainers will want to take their horses to the Breeders’ Cup after just completing the Triple Crown series.
There are two possible scenarios. One is that trainers will skip one or all of the Triple Crown races and aim for the Breeders’ Cup instead. Or, trainers could focus entirely on the Triple Crown and leave the Breeders’ Cup out. Either scenario is tough for horse racing because it deprives racing fans of getting to see the best horses at both events.
Can Horse Racing Recover After Coronavirus?
There is no doubt that the coronavirus has had an effect on almost every industry and enterprise across the world. Horse racing meets early in the year were canceled, and some others were conducted without fans in attendance at the race track. Race tracks depend on betting handle to survive. Figures are likely to show that the amount of money bet on horse racing dwindled during the first half of 2020.
Many horse racing tracks were already in poor shape. This setback will only make things worse. If you are a fan of horse racing, there is something you can do to help. Bet horse racing online for real money from home.
EZ Horse Betting has partnered with several online racebooks. You can sign up with one of these and make bets on all your favorite tracks with a computer or mobile device. Some will even give you a bonus for making your first deposit. Now, it is time to explore some horse betting sites so do check our Bovada racebook review, Twinspires review or even our Betamerica review. All great choice if you are in the US. 5Dimes review for folks anywhere!
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