Kentucky Derby Postponed 17 Mar 2020 13:31
Kentucky Derby set to be postponed until September as US
battles coronavirus
The Kentucky Derby is expected to be postponed until
September due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to reports in the US
overnight.
Churchill Downs is expected to announce on Tuesday that the
146th running of the historic race will not take place on its usual slot on the
first Saturday of May.
There were 25 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Kentucky and
one death as of Monday night with governor Andy Beshear tightening regulations
on bars and restaurants and moving the primary election to June.
Beshear said: “Whether you agree or disagree,
I’m doing everything I can to protect our people. I know it’s tough
on everybody. But we can do this.”
Country House won the race last year after Maximum Security
was disqualified, while Justify was successful the previous year on the way to
becoming the 13th horse to complete the prestigious US Triple Crown.
