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    Kentucky Derby travel guide for a Louisville getaway

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    The 148th Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, May 7. 

    Held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, there’s much to see and do in this captivating city at the crossroads of the South and the Midwest. 

    If you’re heading to town for Derby Day, the spring Kentucky Derby Festival or eyeing a trip to River City in the near future, there are a few things to check out while in town.

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    And one note for travelers during Derby season: It’s not just race day that has all the excitement. The month-long celebration leading up to the Kentucky Derby (the Kentucky Derby Festival) has an entire lineup of amazing events like the Pegasus Parade, Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show and the Great Steamboat Race.

    Be sure to call venues or check the website for availability if you’ll be in town for the big day.

    The 148th Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, May 7. Held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, there’s much to see and do in this captivating city at the crossroads of the South and the Midwest.  (Louisville Tourism)

    Restaurants

    For a smaller city, Louisville is brimming with many types of restaurants from buzzy Cuban haunts to classic barbecue joints.

    Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse

    For great grub at Slugger Field, head to this upbeat eatery with plenty of TVs and stellar BBQ. Craft beer fans will love the sizable brew list. Whatever you do, don’t miss the mac and beer cheese.

    J. Graham’s Café or the Lobby Bar at The Brown Hotel

    Don’t skip town without ordering one of the city’s famed Hot Brown sandwiches. One spot to order one is at The Brown Hotel. A Derby City staple invented at this hotel in 1926, this sandwich consists of roasted turkey breast, toast points, Mornay sauce, Pecorino-Romano cheese, bacon and tomato. 

    Wagner’s Pharmacy

    Located across the street from Churchill Downs, this beloved greasy spoon has been doling out breakfast and lunch since 1922. P.S. You may very well run into a horse trainer or jockey during your time here.

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    La Bodeguita 

    This swanky Cuban restaurant in the buzzing NuLu neighborhood will teleport you to Havana with heaping platters of hits like tostones, arroz con pollo (chicken and yellow rice) and salmon marinated in guava. Sister restaurant Guacamole just recently opened down the street.

    Hip Hop Sweet Shop

    Got a sweet tooth? This bakery has delectable cookies, hot chocolates and milkshakes. Be sure to try the bangin’ banana pudding and “foxxy” brownies in Oreo, plain or turtle flavors. 

    Spirits

    Kentucky is known for its bourbon heritage. Here are three picks for where to raise a glass. If you really love your bourbon, check out the Urban Bourbon Trail, where each restaurant on the trail carries at least 60 varieties of bourbons. You check in at least six locations to win a prize.


    Angel’s Envy 

    Enjoy a distillery tour in the center of Louisville’s Bourbon District at this beloved distiller. Don’t miss the gift shop to take home some spirits and presents for the folks back at home. 

     

    Angel’s Envy  (Louisville Tourism)


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    North of Bourbon

    Opened in 2021 in Louisville’s historic Germantown neighborhood, this bourbon bar is a hat tip to the link between New Orleans and Louisville. If you want to chase your drink with some stellar fare, grab a bourbon-barrel shaped booth and feast on Louisiana and Mississippi cuisine.  

    Black Jockeys Lounge

    Grab dinner or drinks at this spot that pays homage to the Black jockeys who have dominated the Kentucky Derby. It’s located on historic South 4th Street, so walk off those wings and “first call” bleu cheese coleslaw with a postprandial stroll. 

    Wild Swann

    “For the thirsty and the curious” this establishment is tucked into The Grady Hotel, one of Louisville’s recently repurposed buildings from 1883. In its former life, the building was occupied by J.B. Wilder – the owner of an apothecary and bourbon distillery located in the building’s basement, where diners and drinkers can now indulge in delectable cocktails and Southern fare. 

    The Mocktail Project 

    If you’re not much of a drinker but still want to partake in the festivities around town, check out this local initiative for alcohol-free fun.

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    Culture and Attractions

    Kentucky Derby Museum

    Come for the races, stay for the history and tradition. Tour this unique venue brimming with mementos from the most famous of horse races. You can also pair your ticket with a tour of Churchill Downs. 

    The Kentucky Derby Museum (Louisville Tourism)

    Old Louisville Walking Tour

    Talented tour guides will walk you through Old Louisville with its wonderfully preserved homes and more than a few friendly ghosts. Fun fact: the neighborhood is home to the largest contiguous collection of Victorian-era mansions in the country and history buffs are in for a veritable treat as you learn about the region’s storied past.

    Hermitage Farm 

    Located about a half-hour away from downtown Louisville in Goshen, Kentucky, this working thoroughbred farm has horse tours, a locally-sourced and seasonally-focused restaurant (Barn8) and bourbon tastings with retired horses at Barn6.

    TRF (Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation) at Chestnut Hall

    Head to East Louisville for a tour around the historic farmstead, where you’ll see many gorgeous horses. It’s about 30 minutes from downtown Louisville, but you’ll feel eons away from city life. 

    Louisville Mega Cavern 

    If you’re an adrenaline junkie, try underground zip lining at this 100-acre former man-made mine turned tourist attraction beneath a portion of the Louisville Zoo. The world’s only fully underground zip line course is a 2.5-hour expedition that you won’t soon forget, taking you through a portion of the cavern’s 17 miles of underground passageways via six zip lines and two challenge bridges.

    Where to stay

    Hotel Distil

    This Autograph Collection hotel is walking distance to Big Four Bridge, a six-span former railroad truss turned bicycle and pedestrian bridge that crosses the Ohio River, connecting Louisville to Jeffersonville, Indiana, and an adjacent waterfront park.There’s also Slugger Field, the Muhammad Ali Center and much more. Located on Whiskey Row, the hotel pays homage to the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 with a free bourbon cocktail for guests at 19:33 military time every evening, and also offers great dining and drinking on-site.

    The Brown Hotel

    This luxury property first opened in 1923 and has been hosting Derby Day attendees since. The gold-and-black Muhammad Ali Suite complete with a four-poster king bed and marble Jacuzzi tub is the perfect splurge for a special occasion.

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    The Galt House Hotel

    The city’s only riverfront hotel property is the official host hotel of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby. Mosey up to the bar at Jockey Silks for a celebratory drink to start your stay and then relax in rooms with river or city views.

    The Holy Goat

    Post up in an 1843 church reimagined as four individual spaces. There’s also an outdoor courtyard for you to catch your breath between events. You can book each suite individually or combined to house up to 16.

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    Kentucky Derby leads off Triple Crown without Bob Baffert

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    The Kentucky Derby leads off the first Triple Crown season in decades without the chance of Bob Baffert officially winning one or more of the three races.

    Baffert’s absence while suspended shadows over the race, particularly because two horses he trained for a significant period of time are among the top contenders. Former assistant Tim Yakteen would get the credit if Taiba or Messier wins after taking over training duties.

    “It’s a talking point, but it’s not a distraction other than that,” retired jockey Jerry Bailey said. “To me, the only thing that’s going to be different is the record books.”

    Taiba could become the first horse since 1883 to win the Derby with two or fewer previous starts. Baffert-trained Justify won it on the way to sweeping the Triple Crown in 2018 after racing just three times before the first Saturday in May.

    “Times have changed in that regard,” NBC Sports analyst Randy Moss said. “Horses run much less often now leading into the Kentucky Derby in general, so it was just a matter of time.”

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    FILE – Jockey Mike Smith talks with trainer Bob Baffert after winning the Grade 2 Alysheba at Churchill Downs, Friday, May 3, 2019, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan, File)

    This is Bailey’s 34th Derby and Moss’ 41st, with many of them on the NBC Sports set and around the Churchill Downs barns and track together for more than a decade. They tend to agree more often than not, with the notable exception of 2014 when they disagreed about the ride jockey Victor Espinoza gave California Chrome in losing the Belmont with the chance to end the sport’s lengthy Triple Crown drought.

    Asked if there was a potential Triple Crown winner in this crop of 3-year-olds, Moss said it was impossible to say and pointed to plenty of near-misses over the years. Bailey thinks lightly raced Taiba could be the one.

    “If he were able to do this and win the Kentucky Derby, he still only has three starts this year,” said Bailey, who won the Derby twice. “With others maybe having peaked or close to being peaked to try and get to the Kentucky Derby and win it, he might be one that is just on the ascension.”

    Among the 10 horses who entered the Derby with as little racing experience as Taiba over the past century-plus, none have come close to winning this race.

    “The average margin of defeat’s been 25 lengths,” Moss said. “But the difference is none of those horses were given any chance at all to win. And this horse is completely different. This horse is in with an outstanding chance to win.”

    Taiba faces a different challenge in a crowded, 20-horse field than his first two races with much more room to maneuver. Bailey said the challenge is for Mike Smith to try to replicate the trips Taiba got his first two times out of the starting gate to keep the colt comfortable.

    “He hasn’t run against large fields, and he’s had very, very clean trips, no traffic,” Bailey said. “For Mike Smith, his biggest job is to get him out of the starting gate, which the horse does have some early speed and put him in a position where there’s not that many new things happening to him early in the race.”

    A victory by Taiba would make Smith, 56, the oldest jockey to win the Derby. In his way are a record five jockeys from France and a few trainers not named Baffert looking to capture the first jewel of the Triple Crown for the first time.

    Steve Asmussen, who has the most wins of any trainer in North America, has the expected favorite in Epicenter. Chad Brown’s Zandon is another serious challenger who is training well and could give the champion trainer his first Derby victory.

    Crown Pride would be the first Japan-based horse to win any Triple Crown race. He won the UAE Derby in March in Dubai.

    The post position draw is Monday in Louisville.

    Judge grants Bob Baffert preliminary injunction lifting NYRA suspension

    Bob Baffert won a round in court on Wednesday, when a federal judge granted the legendary horse trainer’s request that his suspension by the New York Racing Association (NYRA) be lifted until his lawsuit against the organization is over.

    Baffert fell under scrutiny following the Kentucky Derby this year, after Medina Spirit – his seventh horse to win the esteemed race – tested positive for betamethasone, a substance that is prohibited on race-day in Kentucky.

    Baffert denied drugging the horse, and urged critics to wait for an investigation to be completed regarding the explanation for his horse testing positive for corticosteroid. He later acknowledged the horse was treated with an ointment that might have contained the substance.

    Bob Baffert won a round in court on Wednesday, when a federal judge granted the legendary horse trainer’s request that his suspension by the New York Racing Association be lifted until his lawsuit against the organization is over.
    (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

    Following Medina Spirit’s drug test, Churchill Downs suspended the trainer for two years, prompting him to sue the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

    Baffert was also suspended by the NYRA following the Derby, meaning he was not allowed to enter horses at the Belmont Stakes – which he said cost him big bucks. Baffert sued the NYRA for the losses incurred by the suspension it imposed, and asked that the suspension be put on hold until the completion of his lawsuit against the group. 

    BOB BAFFERT SUING NEW YORK RACING ASSOCIATION FOLLOWING SUSPENSION

    Judge Carol Bagley Amon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York granted his request – just one day before the start of the Saratoga summer meet.

    “The hardships that Baffert would suffer absent an injunction weigh heavily on the other side of the scale,” Amon wrote in her decision. “The suspension is indefinite, and NYRA concedes at most that Baffert’s claims might “be decided within the year.”

    The judge went on to call the 2021 Saratoga summer meet “a one-time opportunity,” pointing out that since “many of the races are limited to horses of a certain age, an inability to compete in these races now means those horses will never have the chance.”

    John Velazquez riding Medina Spirit crosses the finish line to win the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., in this Saturday, May 1, 2021, file photo.  (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

    JUDGE QUESTIONS TREATMENT OF SUSPENDED HORSE TRAINER BAFFERT

    “Baffert will face substantial damage to his income, client base, and reputation if he cannot enter horses at NYRA races for the indefinite future,” Amon continued. “He has already lost one prominent client and stands to lose others, and has been deprived of the ability to compete at Belmont.”

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    Amon wrote that she is “sensitive to NYRA’s concerns about Baffert’s involvement in the events surrounding Medina Spirit’s Kentucky Derby performance, and the fear that history might repeat itself in New York,” but determined: “For the reasons stated, the actual and substantial harm that Baffert will suffer absent an injunction outweighs the speculative harms that NYRA raises.”

    Marta Dhanis and Daniel Canova contributed to this report.

    New horse racing chief calls sport’s clean-up ‘steep climb’

    The chairman of horse racing’s future governing body said the failed drug test of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit shows the need for a uniform set of rules and penalties in place of the sport’s current patchwork system.

    In his first public comments since being appointed chairman of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority’s board, Charlie Scheeler said Wednesday that Medina Spirit’s case is instructive for how the sport should be run going forward.

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    The HISA is set to take effect in July 2022, although early work is underway to “try to make a sport which is safer, which is clean, and which is fair to those who we govern,” Scheeler said on Zoom. “It’s quite a steep climb.”

    Scheeler, a retired partner at a Baltimore law firm, worked as lead counsel to former Sen. George Mitchell’s independent investigation of performance-enhancing substance use in Major League Baseball, as well as a monitor of Penn State’s compliance with the NCAA and Big Ten on athletics integrity.

    He has turned his attention to cleaning up horse racing, which is mired in its latest drug-related scandal.

    Medina Spirit tested positive for the steroid betamethasone after the Kentucky Derby on May 1, and split-sample test results announced Wednesday by the attorney for trainer Bob Baffert confirmed the drug’s presence. Soon after, Churchill Downs announced it was suspending Baffert for two years through spring 2023, prohibiting the seven-time Derby winner from stabling or racing at tracks owned by Churchill Downs Inc.

    Scheeler said under HISA, a trainer would not be the first to announce a positive test result, as Baffert did in a hastily called gathering outside his barn at Churchill Downs a week after the Derby.

    “We’ve got to have a system where it’s the enforcement agency that is describing what happened, what the nature of the violation was, what the significance is and what the penalties will be subject to the due process afforded the alleged violator,” Scheeler said.

    He called it “confusing” to the public that certain levels of medications are allowed in some of the 38 U.S. racing states and not others, especially since horses frequently travel and race in multiple states.

    “The public is going to know the rules are going to be the same for every Triple Crown race. The tolerances, the permitted substances and testing will be the same,” Scheeler said. “The system doesn’t work unless it’s communicated properly to the public.”

    Scheeler favors a tiered system of penalties in racing, similar to Major League Baseball having different penalties for use of steroids and amphetamines.

    “Somebody who has been found to violate the rules three times should be penalized more harshly than somebody who has violated one time,” he said.

    The biggest difference between racing and other sports is that horses aren’t deciding whether to use substances unlike humans.

    “There has to be more of a parentalism here because we can’t tolerate horses being given, for example, painkillers to mask the pain that might have them run beyond what they should be running at,” Scheeler said. “We’ve got to make this sport safer.”

    HISA plans to add an investigative unit to help enforce its anti-doping rules and “follow up on the rumors that you hear in the barn or the syringe that is found in the stall,” Scheeler said.

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    “Some folks just look at it not as should I play fair or not, but a very cold-blooded cost-benefit situation,” he said. “We have to have them see that the cost, or the risks, are greater than the rewards.”

    HISA officials met with their counterparts at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last week.

    “I’m absolutely optimistic,” USADA head Travis Tygart said.

    Scheeler is taking the long view regarding HISA’s potential impact on racing.

    “One of the reasons that horse racing has lost popularity is that many have been turned off by the fact that you have so many horses breaking down,” he said. “A cleaner and fairer sport is also going to be a more popular sport.”

    Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit fails drug test, Bob Baffert hit with suspension

    Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert was suspended by Churchill Downs after Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failed a post-race drug test, and if the results are upheld, there’s a good chance that it will invalidate the victory.

    Medina Spirit is Baffert’s fifth horse to fail a drug test in a year. The only horse to be disqualified for medication after winning the Kentucky Derby is Dancer’s Image in 1968.

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    Churchill Downs issued a statement Sunday saying that Baffert won’t be able to enter horses at the track, and failure to comply with the rules and regulations puts the safety of the horses and jockeys at risk, and it can ruin the integrity of the sport as well.

    “Churchill Downs will not tolerate it,” the statement said. “Given the seriousness of the alleged offense, Churchill Downs will immediately suspend Bob Baffert, the trainer of Medina Spirit, from entering any horses at Churchill Downs Racetrack. To be clear, if the findings are upheld, Medina Spirit’s results in the Kentucky Derby will be invalidated and Mandaloun will be declared the winner.”

    Baffert announced the failed drug test, which he said he will fight “tooth and nail.” According to the trainer, Medina Spirit was found to have 21 picograms of the steroid betamethasone in a postrace sample, which is double the legal threshold in Kentucky racing.

    “I got the biggest gut-punch in racing, for something I didn’t do,” Baffert added.

    BAFFERT MULLING MEDINA SPIRIT’S NEXT STEP AFTER DERBY WIN

    Baffert said his camp was told of the positive test from Kentucky officials on Saturday. Medina Spirit has not been disqualified from the Kentucky Derby, but it can still happen after other tests are completed, per Baffert.

    Jockey John Velazquez, left, watches as trainer Bob Baffert holds up the winner’s trophy after they victory with Medina Spirit in the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
    (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

    “This shouldn’t have happened,” Baffert said. “There’s a problem somewhere. It didn’t come from us.”

    Baffert added that he didn’t know how Medina Spirit could have tested positive. He called it “a complete injustice” because the horse has never been treated with betamethasone.

    “I don’t feel embarrassed, I feel like I was wronged,” said Baffert, adding that he was going to be fully cooperative with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission.

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    “We’re going to show them everything. One thing about it in California, everything is documented every day what the horse gets. This horse was never treated with that. He’s a great horse; he doesn’t deserve this. He ran a gallant race.”

    Medina Spirit won the Kentucky Derby on May 1 by a half-length over Mandaloun, giving Baffert his record-setting seventh victory in the race that starts the Triple Crown season. Medina Spirit is still expected to race in the Preakness, the Triple Crown’s second jewel, on Saturday.

    The Associated Press contributed to this report.

    Trainer Cox seeks Derby history as Louisville’s first winner

    Brad Cox smiles when talking about Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, making it clear how important both are to the trainer.

    After all, he grew up a few blocks away from the historic track. Cox began working with horses at Churchill Downs as a teenager before learning under several trainers and eventually branching out on his own 16 years ago. Along with that education came a natural appreciation for winning there, especially in the track’s two marquee races for colts and fillies.

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    “I mean, it’s home,” said Cox, 41. “Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby days, you know are the biggest things we have in racing in the state of Kentucky and it means a lot when you can win a race.

    “Doesn’t matter if it’s a maiden race or a claiming race or whatever. Those two days, you always try to have as many as you can and do as well as you can.”

    While the reigning Eclipse Award winner has earned his share of notable stakes wins, Saturday’s 147th Derby presents an opportunity for the home-grown Cox to make a career statement.

    He will saddle expected favorite Essential Quality, last year’s Juvenile champion who is 5-0, and stablemate Mandaloun in the 20-horse field. Caddo River would have given him three chances but was withdrawn on Sunday.

    Cox would become the first Louisville-born trainer to win the Derby, a milestone that would add to the city’s rich racing roots and the state’s reputation for producing thoroughbreds.

    Of course, it takes a special combination of bloodlines, talent, skill and luck just to get a horse to the Derby gate. Then comes the challenge of conquering that coveted 1¼ mile against 19 other thoroughbreds with similarly elite pedigrees.

    So there is no wonder it’s a big deal when a local gets a shot at glory.

    “There’s a lot of external pressure put on guys more here, but it’s good pressure,” said Eclipse Award-winner trainer Dale Romans, a Louisville native who has finished third twice in the Derby. “I tell everyone that ever started training horses and gotten to the point where they know what the Derby is to understand the enormity of it how big a deal it is and how big it is.”

    Romans adds that if Cox wins, “It would be good. I’d be very proud of him.”

    Cox is aware of those obstacles and the spotlight he’s under with the horse to beat. He just doesn’t feel any pressure, going about business as usual and letting things sort themselves out.

    “I’m willing to step up, and I know that it comes with more attention, I guess you would say,” said Cox, who has saddled 1,557 winners and won $86,471,263 lifetime.

    “I wouldn’t use the word pressure. I just have to make some time for extra interviews and stuff like that.”

    And Cox needs no directions to the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs, or elsewhere for that matter, coming off a career season ending with honors as racing’s top trainer.

    He earned his second Kentucky Oaks win in last September’s delayed race with Shedaresthedevil. Veteran Monomoy Girl, the 2018 Oaks champ, won her second Breeders’ Cup Distaff in three years over at Keeneland in Lexington en route to a second Eclipse award and likely future spot in the Hall of Fame.

    Cox added Breeders’ Cup triumphs in the Dirt Mile (Knicks Go) and Juvenile Fillies Turf (Aunt Pearl) before Essential Quality capped his stellar day by winning the Juvenile. He has another strong Kentucky Oaks contender in Travel Column on Friday but is laser focused on grooming his star grey colt to run the race of his life on Saturday.

    Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, who brings a quartet of challengers to Essential Quality, wouldn’t be shocked if Cox broke through.

    “Brad has done a terrific job of building a really, really strong stable,” Pletcher said, “and he’s doing all the right things with it.”

    Added trainer Doug O’Neill, “The numbers don’t lie. He knows what he’s doing. As he gets longer in the tooth in this sport, you’ll realize it’s all about the horse. You just try to do what’s right by your horse, and the results will be what they will.”

    Successful as his career appears, Cox points out setbacks.

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    He began learning the ropes under Burk Kessinger and Jimmy Baker and spent five years as Dallas Stewart’s assistant trainer before going out on his own. Along the way, he has had to start over — including after losing a job with Midwest Thoroughbreds.

    A couple of horses began his road back — including one named Dangerous Dream — and he has expanded his bases to Indiana, New York and Louisiana. But as Cox handles the heightened scrutiny Essential Quality has created, he tries not to get too high about it, just as he didn’t get too low in those down moments.

    It’s his way of staying balanced and appreciative, though it’s obvious he’d love to see how a life-changing moment of winning the Derby feels.

    “You take it whenever you can get that Kentucky Derby, no matter if it’s the first year or the last,” he said. “That’s the major goal. … It would be sweet to knock it off this year.”

    Kentucky Derby will allow limited number of fans, Churchill Downs says

    The 2020 Kentucky Derby will be held on Sept. 5 with a limited number of fans in attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic, Churchill Downs said Wednesday.

    Attendance will be limited to no more than 14 percent of the attendance record established by the 2015 Kentucky Derby, which drew 170,513 fans. Churchill Downs officials expect fewer than 23,000 people to attend this year’s race in person.

    MASTERS TOURNAMENT TO BE HELD WITHOUT FANS IN NOVEMBER

    “The opportunity to safely welcome back a limited number of guests to Churchill Downs on the first week of September is a privilege that our team doesn’t take for granted,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “Our extensive plan meets or exceeds all recommended state and local guidelines.”

    As part of its coronavirus-related safety plan, Churchill Downs eliminated general admission and standing-room-only tickets for this year’s race. Attendees will be required to submit to temperature checks, fill out medical questionnaires, wear masks and adhere to social distancing rules.

    PAC-12 JOINS BIG TEN, CANCELS FALL FOOTBALL SEASON

    Fans will receive a “Healthy at the Track” gift bag when they enter Churchill Downs. The bag will include a mask, hand sanitizer and a personal stylus for contactless race wager submissions.

    Under normal conditions, the Kentucky Derby is the first leg of horse racing’s “Triple Crown.” Originally scheduled to take place in early May, this year’s event was postponed in accordance with public health guidance.

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    Belmont set for June 20 without fans, leads off Triple Crown

    The Belmont Stakes will be run June 20 without fans and serve as the opening leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown for the first time in the sport’s history.

    The New York Racing Association on Tuesday unveiled the rescheduled date for the Belmont, which will also be contested at a shorter distance than usual. The 2020 Belmont will be 1 1/8 miles instead of the 1 1/2-mile “test of the champion” that has been the race’s trademark for almost a century.

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    This is the first time the Belmont will lead off the Triple Crown ahead of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness. The Kentucky Derby was moved from May 2 to Sept. 5 and the Preakness from May 16 to Oct. 3 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Belmont was originally scheduled for June 6. But racing in New York halted in late March after a backstretch worker tested positive for COVID-19, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo didn’t give the green light to resume until Saturday.

    Live racing is gradually ramping up operations across North America because tracks feel they can operate safely and still make money without fans on site because of online betting and TV revenue. More than $90 million was wagered off track last year on Belmont day, and NYRA gets a cut of that money along with revenue from NBC.

    Horse racing officials have grappled with the complexities of a shifted Triple Crown season that doesn’t require the same of 3-year-olds in contention as it has in years past. The Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont are usually run during a six-week span in the spring.

    “Everything’s going to be different this year, right?” trainer Mark Casse said. “If well-planned out, it can be just as exciting. Why not? I don’t know if it’s necessarily the time of year. It’s just the events, and you’re still going to have great events.”

    The Belmont is only being run two weeks after it was scheduled, but the shorter distance changes the complexion of the race and the Triple Crown. It has been run at 1 1/2 miles each year dating to 1926 and last ran at 1 1/8 miles in 1894.

    Just 13 horses have won the Triple Crown, most recently Justify in 2018 and American Pharoah in 2015.

    3 dates still possible for rescheduled Preakness

    The Preakness Stakes could still be run on one of three dates this summer or fall.

    The Maryland Jockey Club and NBC Sports have set aside three possible dates, a person with knowledge of negotiations said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because no decision has been made among the dates.

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    The NBC affiliate in Baltimore reported the Preakness will be run Oct. 3. The person tells The AP that is one of the three possible dates, along with one each in July and August.

    State and local authorities, racing officials and TV executives are expected to make the determination based on the health and safety situation as it develops.

    Maryland Jockey Club president Sal Sinatra says officials are still working with NBC Sports on rescheduling the race, which would have been run May 16. That date was scratched by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

    The Stronach Group — which owns Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore — said in a statement, “There is no definitive date set and we continue to explore options” for the Preakness.

    The Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled from May 2 to Sept. 5. The Belmont Stakes, scheduled for June 6, like the Preakness doesn’t have a new date yet.

    Spokesman Pat McKenna said the New York Racing Association “is in the process of working with state and local officials to safely resume live racing at Belmont Park. A determination about the timing of the 2020 Belmont Stakes will be made only after we have clarity on the opening of the Belmont spring/summer meet.”

    The timing of the Preakness could have ripple effects on the Triple Crown and the Breeders’ Cup, which is set for Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s possible the Triple Crown races could be run out of order and at different distances depending on the calendar.

    Regardless of when the Preakness is held, the infield is expected to be closed. Track officials decided on April 3 to cancel Infieldfest, where tens of thousand fans gather to drink beer, socialize, attend free concerts and bet on races.

    The infield usually makes up the lion’s share of attendance at the race, which last year drew 131,256 fans and took in a track-record handle of $99,852,653.

    Wells Bayou wins eerie Louisiana Derby at empty track

    As Wells Bayou completed a wire-to-wire victory in the $1 million Louisiana Derby, there was hardly a cheer to be heard — other than the isolated triumphant shouts of trainer Brad Cox and his stable crew.

    In the 107th running of the qualifying points race for the Kentucky Derby, the clubhouse and grandstand at Fair Grounds Race Course were empty and eerily quiet because of crowd restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. There was no crowd noise to rival the echoing voice of track announcer John G. Dooley — just the sound of 56 hooves clopping down the stretch.

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    Winning jockey Florent Geroux had noted the bizarre scene during earlier races on what is normally the busiest day of the year at the Fair Grounds, drawing crowds approaching 10,000.

    “It’s funny because it’s the biggest day of the meet here and its completely empty,” Geroux said. “It’s like playing football in the Super Bowl with an empty stadium.”

    Kind of like New Orleans without open bars or live music clubs, which has been the case since early last week.

    On Saturday, the Louisiana Derby was one of the few U.S. sporting events to continue as scheduled, one day after New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell had issued a “stay home” mandate to residents in an effort to curb the spread of the virus. Shortly after the race, officials announced that the rest of the meet, which was scheduled to run until March 29, was canceled.

    For the overwhelming majority of race fans and bettors, the only option was to bet online and watch on television.

    Some die-hards just couldn’t be kept away, though. A couple dozen people parked along a chain-link fence with a view of the front stretch, watching tailgate-style, with drinks in hand. Some stood in the beds of pickup trucks for a better view while others peered through the fence.

    “I’ve only been coming to this for about 50 years,” said 65-year-old Ken Carson, who lives near the track. “I’ve never really bet online but this is the first time I ever opened up an account for at least one day to come out and enjoy the spectacle and, you know, make a little bet here or there.

    “It’s a pleasant day,” Carson added, a can of beer in one hand and his racing form in the other. “We’re just enjoying ourselves out here.”

    Carson said the horse he liked was Ny Traffic, who went off at 26-1 but finished second, staying close to the leader throughout. Modernist finished third while morning-line favorite Enforceable, who went off at 7-2, finished fifth.

    Wells Bayou earned 100 points toward qualification for the Kentucky Derby, which has been delayed until early September from its usual running on the first Saturday in May.

    “He’s very great leaving the gate. He broke super sharp,” Geroux said. “After that, when he makes the lead, he relaxes very nice. I let him take a few breathers around the turns. He did perfectly. And when the competition came next to him down the lane, he has another gear.”

    Wells Bayou finished the new 1 3/8-mile race distance in 1:56.47. He paid $8.40, $5.80 and $4.60.

    “The first Saturday in September is a long ways away,” Geroux said, referring to the tentative new date for the Kentucky Derby. “Many things can happen. We’re just hoping the horse comes back healthy and we’re going to adjust and go from there.”

    Owned by Clint and Lance Gassaway, Madaket Stables and Wonder Stables, Wells Bayou took his third victory in five lifetime starts, bringing his career winnings to $845,293.

    The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Ny Traffic, with Joe Bravo aboard, earned 40 points and paid $21.60 and $12.60 after breaking from the starting gate as a 26-1 long shot.

    “The last couple races he really stepped up to the plate and the horse is just getting good,” said Bravo, a race-day fill-in for jockey Luis Saez, who decided not to travel to New Orleans. “The thing that makes him so good is that he listens. He broke great, put him in front, he relaxed off the other horse. He turned for home and my horse did not want to lay up. He ran for me down the lane and that’s all you can ask for.”

    Modernist paid $9.60.