2020 Kentucky Derby Becomes A Victim Of Covid-19

For just the second time in its 146-year history the Kentucky Derby has been postponed. The 2020 Kentucky Derby will be held on September 5, 2020 at the legendary Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The postponement is due to the global coronavirus health pandemic known as COVID-19.

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 first Saturday in May became the established modern date; it was not the date of every early running. Only once before has the race been postponed. This happened in 1945 at the 71^st 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 71^st 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. Early expectations changed as the revised 2020 schedule was announced: the races were ultimately held in a different order.

Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore has announced that it will proceed with the Preakness on October 3, 2020. Belmont Park ultimately staged the Belmont Stakes on June 20, before the September Derby and October Preakness. Its distance was shortened to 1⅛ miles, so the series did not take place in the customary order.

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. That concern was a pre-race projection, not the completed outcome: Authentic subsequently won the Breeders’ Cup Classic after winning the Derby and finishing second in the Preakness.

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.

What the Postponed Derby Taught the Racing Industry

The decision to postpone the 2020 Kentucky Derby from its traditional first Saturday in May slot to September 5th — and to run it without spectators — forced the racing industry to confront questions about its resilience and adaptability that had never previously been tested at this scale. The experience revealed both vulnerabilities and strengths. On the vulnerability side, the absence of the Derby’s enormous in-person crowd eliminated the hundreds of millions of dollars in direct economic impact that the race generates for Louisville and Kentucky annually, highlighting how dependent the event’s financial ecosystem is on physical attendance.

On the strength side, the race itself demonstrated that the competitive drama and betting interest of the Kentucky Derby are not contingent on the presence of a crowd. The completed event retained substantial wagering despite the disruption: Churchill Downs reported $126.0 million on the Derby Day program, compared with $250.9 million in 2019. Those program totals should not be confused with the Derby race alone. and the race produced one of the more memorable results in recent years with Authentic’s victory. The industry’s ability to adapt its broadcasting, wagering infrastructure, and competitive schedule under extraordinary circumstances gave stakeholders confidence that horse racing’s core product — the races themselves — could endure and attract audiences through unprecedented disruptions. For more on the 2020 Derby’s unique circumstances, our article on 2020 Kentucky Derby becomes a victim of Covid-19 covers the full story. And our guide to how points are earned for the Kentucky Derby explains how the qualification system adapted.

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. The effect varied by measure: attendance, race-day handle and online operator revenue should be examined separately rather than assuming they all moved together.

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. online racebook comparison for folks anywhere!

Related posts:

• Betting Guide for 2021 Kentucky Derby
• Betting the 2022 Kentucky Derby

NYRA’s Belmont report confirms the changed first leg. Churchill Downs’ completed Derby report supplies the wagering comparison.