Churchill Downs won’t allow fans at Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs is going back on a previous decision to allow fans at the Kentucky Derby

As the Sept. 5 Derby nears, the world’s most famous racetrack has reversed course as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the United States. Considering the event is just a few weeks away, Churchill Downs would rather ensure the races take place without an outbreak, despite the obvious allure of Derby Day and mint juleps.

“Churchill Downs and all of our team members feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility as citizens of Louisville to do all we responsibly can to protect the health, safety and security of our community in these challenging times and believe that running the Derby without spectators is the best way to do that,” track officials said in a statement. “We deeply regret the disappointment this will bring to our loyal fans.”

Keeping fans away from the Derby is the right decision

As tough as it may be to hear for horse racing regulars, a fan-less experience is where most American sports find themselves as they try to resume action during a pandemic. In terms of the Triple Crown, the Belmont already went off without a hitch, with Tiz The Law winning the first leg.

When the decision was made to move the event to Sept., the thought was that fans would be able to safely attend at that point, at least at some capacity. That’s clearly not the case, as Churchill Downs President Kevin Flanery expressed on Friday.

“With Louisville being tagged a red zone city by the CDC this week, we just felt that we could not responsibly bring in 23,000 fans to the facility for the Derby,” Flanery said. “It’s (a decision) that we tried as best we could to get over the finish line with it. But ultimately, the safety of our guests, the community, our employees is the No. 1 priority.”

For now, we’ll have to watch from home.