In many respects it seems as if the “year of COVID” has lasted a lot longer than 12 months. A year ago we couldn’t find much on the shelves of the local grocery store, especially paper products. Swiss Skydiver had yet to defeat stakes company. Bob Baffert had just five Kentucky Derby (G1) wins.
While we herald the fact racing was able to continue in some jurisdictions during the early lock-down phase of the pandemic battle and that the ability to wager remotely via advance deposit wagering is part of our success story, Thoroughbred racing remains a tough business. The number of races, race days, and overall purses lost has forced most horsemen to adapt to new business practices. However, the sport has always been a survive-and-advance kind of game.