It will be quiet in Churchill Downs as the horses cross the finish line during the 146th Kentucky Derby.
In a dramatic over-face Friday, Churchill Downs announced Friday that it will not allow fans at the Run for the Roses about growing concerns about keeping a crowd, even with social distance rules in place, during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Churchill Downs and all our team members feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility as citizens of Louisville to do everything we can responsibly to protect the health, safety and security of our community in these challenging times and believe that the Derby will run without spectators is the best way to do that, “officials said in a statement.
“We deeply regret the disappointment this will bring to our loyal fans.”
The decision to run the re-placed September 5 races without fans also applies to the Kentucky Oaks and all live racing at Churchill Downs during Derby Week. Tickets for all races and related programming will be refunded automatically, officials said in the announcement.
Kentucky Derby tickets: Here’s what you need to know about refunds
Churchill Downs president Kevin Flanery said Friday that the historic racetrack in southern Louisville “hopes we could have fans in the stands … when we made the difficult decision to move it to September.”
But “with Louisville tagged a red zone CD this week, we just felt we could not bring 23,000 fans responsibly to the Derby facility.”
“It’s not an easy decision,” he added. “It’s one we’re trying our best to get over the finish line. But ultimately, the safety of our guests, the community, our staff is the number one priority.”
On August 12, Churchill Downs published a 62-page operating plan announcing the attendance for Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby limited to under 23,000 guests. The plan also shook off general admission tickets and announced the infield.
Churchill Downs said the reverse decision to not allow fans had Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s full support.
“I applaud Churchill Downs for continuing to oversee the virus and for making the right and responsible decision,” Beshear said in the statement. “I urge all Kentuckians to take action to stop the spread of the virus so that we can return to the many traditions we enjoy, such as the Kentucky Derby.”
A person close to Churchill Downs told The Courier Journal that the decision not to allow fans was not forced on the track by Beshear, but made by herself after lengthy deliberations on public health. An Churchill Downs official told Beshear of her decision earlier this week.
Reaction to the decision came quickly and threw in Friday from Kentucky.
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, who previously said he did not plan to attend this year’s Derby, citing the high number of new cases of coronavirus and racial justice demonstrations expected in Louisville on Sept. 5, said: ” I know this was a difficult decision for Churchill Downs, but it was obviously the right call for the health and safety of the people of Louisville.
“We are currently seeing an unfortunate spike in COVID-19, and if we are to shorten this crisis and save lives, we must consistently do what we know works – wear a mask, wash your hands and maintain social distance, whatever in this case, Derby 146 views the comfort and safety of our homes. “
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Health Experts: Churchill Downs made the good call to cancel Derby fans
Dale Romans, Louisville native and coach of Derby Hopeful Attachment Rate, said he thinks Churchill Downs made the right decision.
“The energy in the air as the Derby runs is incredible. Did we want to be able to catch that with 23,000 people there? I think Churchill made the right decision. It’s a tight situation at the moment. It looks like there’s a big uptick. is (in COVID-19 cases) around the city, “he said.
State Rep. Jerry Miller, a Louisville Republican, said Churchill Downs’ decision not to allow fans was “regrettable” but “probably the cautious decision to make.”
“It’s likely to have a negative effect on Louisville’s economy, but unfortunately I think it’s probably the best thing for Louisville right now,” he said.
In January, Louisville Tourism estimates an economic impact of $ 400 million for Louisville from the Kentucky Derby in 2020. A typical Derby weekend provides nearly 100% hotel occupancy in Louisville’s 22,000 hotel rooms and 1,600 short-term rentals, said Stacey Yates, vice president for marketing and communications at Louisville Tourism.
Secretary of State Morgan McGarvey, a Democrat from Louisville, did not make Churchill Downs’ decision second Friday either.
“I’m glad we’re still doing the Kentucky Derby for the 146th year and that Churchill Downs is doing it in the safest way,” McGarvey said. “I hope we can all be the 147th runners on the first Saturday of May next year.”
Metro Councilman Kevin Triplett, D-15th District, whose district includes Churchill Downs, said Friday from the moment he heard about the plan to allow fans, he thought it was irresponsible.
“I feel for those who were enthusiastic about attending and for those who now have to cancel reservations, flights, etc.,” Triplett said. ‘But it’s the right thing to do. It’s the responsible thing to do. ”
Metro President David James, D-6th District, said he applauded the decision to run the race without fans.
“When the numbers for COVID started to go up, honestly, I was pretty shocked and surprised that they were trying to put fans inside Churchill Downs, knowing that COVID was crippling our country. It would seem to me, I thought: that would just make one big petri dish, “he said.
He acknowledged that it could be an economic hit for the city, but said people would not work because they were sick if shutting down businesses before the pandemic would also have an economic impact.
“Doesn’t the economic impact of having fans be on track? It does, ”said James. “But does it also have an economic impact if we shut down companies because those fans who were on the track are now sick and spreading it?”
Editors: Why we think Churchill Downs made the right call
The Louisville hospitality and tourism sector responded Friday to the breaking news, with many saying they were not surprised by the decision.
Karen Williams, president and CEO of Louisville Tourism, said while the organization hoped “any amount of economic relief would have had a reduced Derby capacity for the audience and its 60,000 pre-pandemic jobs,” the historic races run without fans in the stands “is something we’re all prepared for.”
Jeff Crowe, director of Kentucky Experiences at Evans Williams, said he was not surprised by the decision, but it did not make the news easier to swallow.
‘I think everyone saw this coming and knew this would be the end result. It is bad for restaurants, hotels and all businesses. We will recover from this and will not catch up again with our pants down. This could be the new normal, “he said.
When Churchill Downs announced in June that it was going to run the Derby with fans, Louisville airports were hoping that spectators could give them some life after being injured by a descent of travelers infected with the coronavirus, said Natalie Chaudoin, spokeswoman for the Louisville Regional Airport Authority.
While Chaudoin said at the time that it was too early to predict what traffic would look like in September due to airlines not breaking their schedules so far, the Sunday after last year’s Kentucky Derby was the busiest in Louisville Muhammad Ali’s history. International Airport: there were 14,500 scheduled departures that day.
“The airport authority knows this was a very difficult choice for Churchill Downs to make in connection with attending fans at this year’s Kentucky Derby and we understand why they were wrong on the side of caution,” she said. “We support them in making a decision for the health and safety of the fans.”
An audience of 23,000 would have been about 13.5% of the record 170,513 attending the Kentucky Derby in 2015. It would be one of the largest crowds for a sporting event in the United States since sports began closing in March because of the COVID- 19 pandemic. A crowd of 30,000 fans was allowed at a NASCAR race on July 15 in Bristol, Tennessee, The Courier Journal reported earlier.
See also: Riders from Louisville are responding to a Kentucky Derby 2020 without fans
The Kentucky Derby has been held every year since 1875 and is held on the first Saturday in May every year since 1946. The 1945 Derby was held on June 9 due to World War II.
Last year’s participation was 150,729. The Kentucky Oaks record mass of 124,589 was set in 2016, and last year’s Oaks turnout was 105,719.
All three Triple Crown races were rescheduled this year due to the pandemic. Tiz the law won the Belmont on June 20, two weeks after its originally scheduled date. The Preakness was postponed from May 16 to October 3, making it the last leg of this year’s Triple Crown scheme.
Churchill Downs reported July 29 that its total revenue decreased $ 162.9 million compared to the second quarter of last year, which recorded a $ 13.5 million hit from cessation of operations at Derby City Gaming, its historic center for racing machines on Poplar Level Road in Louisville. Deen
More here: Hospitality sector disappointed but not surprised by no fans
Reporters Darcy Costello, Jason Frakes, Dahlia Ghabour, Gege Reed, Joe Sonka, Ben Tobin and Debby Yetter contributed to this report. Range of features and lifestyle editor Kathryn Gregory at [email protected].
