The following appeared on the website www.nationalsteeplechase.com April 8 and is a letter from NSA President Dr. Al Griffin

Dear Steeplechase Family,

The members of the National Steeplechase Association Board of Directors and I hope that you are safe and well in these most difficult of times. None of us have experienced anything like this coronavirus pandemic in our lifetimes. We have all been affected in so many ways by this global crisis. We are small business owners, horse owners, trainers, and race-meet officials. You have questions, we know, and we want to answer them to the extent that we can in a rapidly changing environment. Beginning with this letter, we will keep you abreast of what the NSA is doing, and hoping to do, in the coming weeks and months.

Dr. Al Griffin is President of the National Steeplechase Association.

Our director of racing, Bill Gallo, has been in constant contact with our horsemen and our race meets. He is working diligently to put together a strong, well-balanced schedule for June that serves the needs of as many of our horsemen as possible. He also is working to put together a summer schedule, although the race tracks that play host to our races, especially Saratoga Race Course, have yet to solidify their plans. Like us, these racetracks do not know when they will be able to run and to what extent.

We also recognize that our horsemen, the owners and trainers, are in a difficult financial position with no racing and thus no race purses. They are taking care of their horses and doing so without purse income. We are working to develop a knowledge of the federal relief programs that were recently enacted, and especially the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses. Our general manager, Peter McGivney, is exploring the program for the NSA, and Communications Director Don Clippinger is evaluating it for his company and other clients. Do not hesitate to call on them if you have questions. Horsemen’s groups have had webinars on the federal programs and have welcomed steeplechase participation.

We also are concerned for our jockeys, who depend upon racing for a great part of their income. While we have postponed some of our meets, all National Hunt races in England and Ireland have been canceled for the rest of the season. We also have a very promising crop of young riders coming along, some of them third- or fourth-generation steeplechase participants. The loss of almost all point to point races this season has deprived these very capable young riders of the valuable experience necessary to graduate to the NSA apprentice ranks, despite our best efforts to create these opportunities at race meets that also eventually had to cancel. We are still trying to create opportunities within the context of a very limited schedule.

Our race meets also have suffered. To date, we have had 11 spring cancellations, and those meets have fixed and continuing expenses that must be paid. The race meets that have postponed until June are confronting unanswerable questions. Will they be able to run? Will their volunteers be available? Will their usual crowds attend. We also are concerned for our race meets’ charitable beneficiaries; many of them depend on the meets’ contributions to balance their budgets. Several of them are hospital systems, and they are under great professional and financial stress now as they treat the growing number of patients afflicted with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. There are a lot of questions and no easy answers.

What has brought me great joy during these tumultuous times is the enthusiasm, dedication and understanding displayed by everyone in the NSA constituency as we have tried to re-invent this Spring season on a daily, and sometimes hourly basis. This task will continue to be challenging, but the steeplechase community is an extended family, and we will attack it with perseverance and resolve, both for what remains of the Spring and Summer schedule and beyond.

I urge all of you to take the necessary steps to stay safe. Please observe the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations for social distancing and, more recently, wearing face masks when out in public. Please stay healthy, and we look forward to seeing you on that bright day when steeplechase racing resumes.

Sincerely,
Dr. Al Griffin Jr.
President

The following speared on the MATCH Series website on April 8, 2020. It was written by Tom LaMarra. Colonial Downs had been scheduled to host a round of five $100,000 MATCH Series stakes races on Saturday August 15. 

The partners in the highly acclaimed Mid-Atlantic Thoroughbred Championships Series (MATCH), during an April 7 meeting, agreed to cancel the 2020 edition of the Series given the ongoing uncertainty of racing schedules and concerns about available purse money in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) shutdown.

The Series, which has established itself as a popular part of the Mid-Atlantic racing calendar, was set to debut for its third straight season with a split schedule at Laurel Park and Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races on April 18. But live racing in the region is on hold for the foreseeable future, and with the Series stakes scheduled for Preakness weekend also up in the air, there appeared to be few good options.

Page McKenney wins a MATCH Series race in 2018 at Monmouth.

“Obviously, we are all disappointed, but it was the right thing to do,” said MATCH Series creator and THA Chairman Alan M. Foreman. “No one wanted to compromise the quality of the event and the brand we are building. MATCH is a luxury, and the monies contributed by the horsemen’s organizations, racetracks and breeders organizations to support the Series can be better used for the benefit of day-to-day racing when live racing returns. We have the template ready to go for 2021 and will be back bigger and better than ever.”

The 2020 Series, the schedule for which was developed in a spirit of cooperation among racing stakeholders in six states, was expected to the best since the Series returned in 2018. Two new partner tracks who were members of the Series when it debuted in 1997–Colonial Downs and Charles Town–along with their respective horsemen’s associations and breeders’ organizations, joined the fold; a fifth division was added; and the Series was expanded from five to seven big-event racing programs.

The MATCH Series indicated April 7 that it hopes the Series can return in 2021, using the 2020 schedule as the template for 2021.

The MATCH Series is an innovative regional racing series, and the only one of its kind in horse racing, that combines rich stakes and bonuses for participating owners and trainers who compete over a seven-month span. Horses competing in MATCH earn points based on participation and order of finish in each series race, and the leading point earners in each of the series divisions, as well as the overall owner and trainer point leaders, win lucrative bonuses.

The Series partners are the Charles Town HBPA, Delaware THA, Maryland THA, New Jersey THA, Pennsylvania THA, Pennsylvania HBPA and Virginia HBPA; Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, Colonial Downs, Delaware Park, the Maryland Jockey Club (Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course), Monmouth Park, Parx Racing and Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course; and the Delaware Certified Thoroughbred Program, Maryland Horse Breeders Association, Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association, Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey, Virginia Thoroughbred Association and West Virginia Thoroughbred Breeders Association.

Chowda, a 3-year-old Virginia-Certified colt, who was one of 108 horses to win a bonus award in the first quarter of 2020 as part of the VTA’s residency program initiative.

The New York bred earned a capped reward of $10,000 — highest of any — from a victory in the $100,000 Gander Stakes (black-type) at Aqueduct where he was sent off at 15-1 odds. The Gary Sciacca trainee is 2-for-2 this year and overall, has bankrolled $142,793 from six starts. He scored at Aqueduct previously in a January allowance race where he earned a $9,240 reward, and in a maiden special weight last November. Out of the Chief Seattle mare, Salty Lil Sis, Chowda is owned by Eddie F’s Racing. The Emcee colt spent six months at Woodberry Payne’s Ingleside Training Center before he started competing.

Chowda wins the $100,000 Gander Stakes at Aqueduct Feb. 16. Photo by Coglianese Photography.

Next biggest award went to New York bred Moonlight Now, a 4-year-old Tiznow gelding. His $8,250 bonus came from a $60,000 maiden special weight win at Aqueduct February 20. Moonlight Now is out of Moonlightandbeauty by Capote and is owned by Albert Fried, Jr. He spent his Virginia residency at Paula Parsons’ Centennial Farms in Middleburg.

Moonlight Now (inside) edges Clever Fellow in a maiden special weight at Aqueduct Feb. 20. Photo by Coglianese Photography.

Wild Banker collected an identical reward via a similar $60,000 maiden special weight race at Aqueduct January 24. The New York bred, a 3-year-old son of Central Banker, reached the winners circle for the first time in three starts. He is owned by Michael Dini and Al Moorehouse and is trained by Michael Tannuzzo. Wild Banker is an Eagle Point Farm (Karen Godsey, Ashland) graduate.

Wild Banker collected a $8,250 bonus for winning a maiden special weight Jan. 24 at Aqueduct. Photo courtesy of Adam Coglianese.

Maryland-bred Follow The Dog won a $53,000 allowance race by a head over Hero’s Hope January 9 at Laurel and bankrolled a $6,250 reward. Owned by Waldorf Racing Stables and trained by Phil Schoenthal, the 4-year-old Bandbox colt earned his third program bonus and first of 2020. He won the Maryland Million Nursery Stakes in 2018 and has career purse winnings of $159,782. Follow The Dog resided at Ingleside for six months prior to his first start.

Follow The Dog captures a $53,000 allowance race at Laurel Jan. 9. Photo by Jim McCue.

Of the six other horses that earned an award over $5,000, four are New York-breds. Bassman Dave, a 4-year-old Big Brown gelding, won a $36,000 allowance race February 28 while Left Leaning Lucy, a 3-year-old The Lumber Guy filly, took a $41,000 maiden claimer February 21. Abraxan,a 4-year-old Forty Tales filly, was best in a $36,000 claimer February 2 and Fair Lassie, a 4-year-old Dublin filly, reached the winners circle in a $37,000 claimer March 27. All the triumphs came at Aqueduct. The first two were raised at Ingleside while the latter two were at Brooke Royster’s Chance Farm and Jean Rofe’s Racing at Rokeby.

Kentucky-bred Always Something is best in a $49,000 allowance at Laurel March 7. Photo by Jim McCue.

The final two are respective Kentucky and West Virginia-breds. Always Something, a 3-year-old Oxbow filly who captured a maiden special weight at Colonial Downs last August, won a $49,000 allowance March 9 at Laurel. Chiefs Kingdom, a 4-year-old Our Entourage filly, was best in the $35,000 Valentines Day Overnight Stakes at Charles Town on February 14. Owned and bred by David Bloom, she has won six career races including a trio of consecutive allowance wins last September, October and November. Their residencies were spent at Horseshoe Hill and Eagle Point Farms.

Chiefs Kingdom prevails in the Valentines Day Overnight Stakes at Charles Town. Photo by Coady Photography.

Of the 108 wins by Certified horses in the first quarter, 18 came at Laurel, 18 at Penn National, 12 at Aqueduct, 1 at Parx and the balance at Charles Town. For more information on the program and a list of participating farms/training centers, visit vabred.org.

The annual Virginia Breeders Awards ceremony will be held Friday June 19 at Great Meadow, the evening before the rescheduled Virginia Gold Cup Races on June 20. The 14 award winners were announced over a two week period and can be seen by scrolling through the “News” section of this website.

Top Virginia Breeder – William Backer Revocable Estate. The Backer Estate’s 2019 resume is most impressive — a total of 21 victories, three stakes wins including a Grade I score, and $124,335 in Virginia Breeders Fund bonus monies. Out for a Spin, winner of the Grade I Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, was already named Top Virginia-Bred/Sired 3-Year-Old Filly while Ferdinanda, winner of the Brookmeade Stakes at Colonial Downs, was named Top Older Turf male. Tryon Summer captured the Nellie Mae Stakes at Colonial as well and finished second to Ferdinanda in the Brookmeade. The trio bankrolled respective purse monies of $363,610, $141,460 and $100,045 last year. Four of their other horses had multiple win seasons in 2019 — Buckys Pick, Gio Lemon, Hilltop Harmony and First Talent.

Mrs. William Backer of Smitten Farm accepts the award for 2018 Breeder of the Year.

Top Virginia-Based Trainer – Neil Morris. The English born trainer has been based in Middleburg for over 25 years now and his horses have amassed career purse earnings of $5.7 million. In 2019, he had 19 wins, 28 runner-up finishes and 30 thirds, good for a bankroll of $539,541 from 167 starts. His Dapper Dan, who was named Top Virginia-Bred Over Fences, won the Steeplethon at Great Meadow during the fall International Gold Cup card and was second in the spring edition. He also won twice each with Family Tree, Junonia, Catauga County, Shrove Tuesday and Virginia-bred Gio Lemon. Bred by the William Backer Trust, the 5-year-old Gio Ponti gelding broke his maiden at Charles Town in April then captured a claiming race at Timonium in August. Morris has had four Virginia Gold Cup winners including Zanclus in the 2018 edition. That year, Joe Clancy noted that Morris was the only trainer on the planet to have a horse win at a distance of 4 1/2 furlongs (at Charles Town) and at four miles (Gold Cup distance).

Trainer Neil Morris is shown after a win at Great Meadow. Photo by Douglas Lees.

The following appeared in The Paulick Report on April 7.

The past couple of months have been uncommonly successful demonstrations of the sire talent belonging to the Ashford Stud stallion Munnings (by Speightstown), and on April 4, the horse added another stakes victory with Kimari in the Purple Martin Stakes at Oaklawn Park.

The success for that 3-year-old filly comes on the heels of graded stakes winners Bonny South (Grade 2 Fair Grounds Oaks), Warrior’s Charge (G3 Razorback Handicap), Finite (G2 Rachel Alexandra), and Venetian Harbor (G2 Las Virgenes), plus numerous place-getters in stakes events around the globe.

Nor has sire Speightstown been quiet during this period. His most notable winners include Group 1 victress Mozu Superflare in Japan and Flagstaff, winner of the G2 San Carlos.

In fact, Speightstown and his flagship son have staked out ground as perhaps the most typical “young” line of Mr. Prospector on the scene.

Among the flourishing lines founded by the iconic bay son of Raise a Native and grandson of Native Dancer are:

– The large and very classic branch of Fappiano, best known through Kentucky Derby winner Unbridled and his sons Unbridled’s Song and Empire Maker, the grandsire of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming;

– The “other” Fappiano line of Quiet American through Kentucky Derby winner Real Quiet to his champion son Midnight Lute;

– The good-sized classic branch of Smart Strike, best known through Preakness winner Curlin, the sire of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Vino Rosso, and also prominent through champion Lookin at Lucky, sire of last year’s official Kentucky Derby winner Country House;

– The miler-classic group descending from Forty Niner, especially through the still active leading sire Distorted Humor;

– The international branch from Seeking the Gold through his grandson Dubawi;

– The line of big classic horses coming from Machiavellian through his son Street Cry and his Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense;

– The Kingmambo group that gravitates toward turf but also includes American champion Lemon Drop Kid;

– The Gone West branch that includes the towering Elusive Quality and his son Quality Road, as well as the midsized sprint champion Speightstown and his son Munnings.

That’s a very brief summary of the Prospector lines active today and ignores the sire’s champion sons who are more active among the inner lines of pedigree, such as Conquistador Cielo, Gulch, and Woodman.

Both Speightstown and Munnings are powerfully built, medium-sized horses with very good length through the body, and both possess the chestnut coat color that Gone West often passed on and that derived from his stakes-winning dam Secrettame and her sire, Triple Crown winner Secretariat. The latter proved less a force in the male line that had been hoped for, but he was a massive influence through his daughters, including the leading sires A.P. Indy, Storm Cat, Summer Squall, and Gone West among his maternal grandsons.

After Gone West won the 1987 Dwyer, which was a Grade 1 at the time, “apparently a lot of people were after the horse for a stallion because” owner James P. Mills “decided to make a commitment to stand the horse at stud,” recalled Reynolds Bell. “Gone West had brought $1.9 million when he went through the Keeneland July sale in 1985; so he looked the part and had the pedigree to go with it. Our good fortune was that Mill Ridge had a relationship with Mr. and Mrs. Mills, from having their mares at the farm.”

The Millses owned Hickory Tree Farm near Middleburg, Va., and had raced other notable horses, such as Kentucky Derby third Believe It (In Reality) and champion juvenile Devil’s Bag (Halo). Both of those stallions stood in Kentucky, and Hickory Tree had mares in Kentucky to breed to them and other important sires.

“When Gone West was available as a sire,” Bell continued, “Mill Ridge had just acquired Diesis as its first stallion, and in getting stallion prospects, if it doesn’t come down to money, it probably comes down to relationships. With Gone West, we competed for him in the marketplace, and we got lucky.

“Mr. Mills gave us a shot to stand the horse, and he recognized we were working hard to develop something that would complement what we were already doing at Mill Ridge. Mom [Alice Headley Bell Chandler] and I loved Mr. Prospector and his speed and influence in the breed. We thought that, if we could get a really good son of Mr. Prospector, that would be the sort to stand. Gone West had all that, plus a dam side that goes back to Aloe in the farther reaches of a pedigree that also includes Round Table, Known Fact, and other live horses at the time.”

In addition to the merits of the horse and his pedigree, there is also support of committed breeders with good mares. Bell said, “We had good clientele at the farm that could support him, as well as the interest that came from outside. Even so, he was competing against Forty Niner, Seeking the Gold, and Gulch, among the other big sons of Mr. Prospector at that time. It helped that we had a pretty strong contingent of European clients at the time,” including Khalid Abdullah, who bred the stallion’s first champion and classic winner in Zafonic, a winner of the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket and later an outstanding sire.

Once Gone West had proven a success at stud, his sales yearlings brought very good prices, and the star of them proved to be Speightstown, who sold for $2 million at the 1999 Keeneland July sale. For a long time, it appeared that was money well burnt, as Speightstown was a tired last of 13 at Saratoga in his only start at two. At three, the striking chestnut won a maiden on his seasonal debut at Gulfstream, and then the colt won three of his next five starts as trainer Phil England worked the talented sprinter through his conditions. Finally, at Saratoga on Aug. 3, 2001, Speightstown ran second in the G2 Amsterdam behind G1 winner City Zip.

That was a more than respectable effort, and (drum roll, please), he didn’t start again for 21 months.

When he reappeared, Speightstown was trained by Todd Pletcher, and the horse won his 5-year-old debut, was second in the listed Jaipur Stakes on May 26, 2003, and then did not start again for 10 months.

When Pletcher brought the talented racer back as a 6-year-old, however, the trainer had all the wheels turning the right direction, and Speightstown won five of his six starts.

More importantly, Speightstown won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (and the Eclipse Award as top sprinter), the G2 Vanderbilt, True North, and Churchill Downs handicaps, plus the listed Artax Handicap.

Now, that was a season’s racing to earn the horse a serious opportunity at stud.

As a sire, Speightstown puts a lot of speed in his stock, like his son Munnings, but surprisingly, there are other important qualities coming through for a successful racer and for a sire. Soundness would not have been expected as a trump card for Speightstown, especially after his troubled racing career, but he gets 76 percent starters to foals, well above the breed average of 60 percent, and he has 59 percent winners, towering over the breed average of slightly more than 40 percent, with more than 100 stakes winners to date.

Not surprisingly then, Speightstown stands for $70,000 at WinStar Farm, and Munnings is standing for $30,000 at Ashford.

Since the annual Virginia Breeders Awards ceremony and Virginia Gold Cup Races were pushed back to the weekend of June 19-20 at Great Meadow, we will announce a 2019 award winner each day over a 14 day period. We’ll also post it to the Virginia Thoroughbred Association’s facebook page.

Today’s (April 6) award winner is: Top Virginia-Bred/Sired 2-Year-Old Male – Embolden. The Nancy Terhune and Ernest Frohboese-bred colt had “top three” finishes in all six of his 2019 starts on the way to bankrolling $181,000 in purse monies. Two of those were wins at Colonial Downs — one on opening day and the other on closing day. He connected early in a maiden special weight race, then later in the $100,000 Jamestown Stakes. He also finished 2nd in the black-type Atlantic Beach Stakes at Aqueduct and 3rd in the Grade 3 Futurity Stakes at Belmont. Owned by the Dare To Dream Stable and trained by Michael Stidham, Embolden is by The Factor out of Silver Heart by Lion Hearted. He was a $95,000 purchase at the 2019 Ocala Breeders’ Sale for 2-year-olds in training.

Embolden wins the Jamestown Stakes for 2-year-olds over the Colonial turf. Photo by Coady Photography.

Previously announced winners are:

Top Virginia-Bred/Sired 2-Year-Old Filly – Bella Aurora. The Carpe Diem filly’s consistent 2019 campaign included top three finishes in all six of her starts. She reached the winner’s circle in three of those at Laurel — a maiden special weight in August, an allowance optional claimer in November and in December’s Gin Talking Stakes. Bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm, she also finished second in the Jamestown Stakes at Colonial and third in the Anne Arundel County Stakes at Laurel. Bella Aurora earned $141,140 last year. She is out of Street Interest by Street Cry, is trained by Mike Trombetta and is owned by Country Life Farm. The filly was an $87,000 purchase at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale.

Bella Aurora (#4) was best in the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel. Photo by Jim McCue.

Top Virginia-Bred/Sired 3-Year-Old Male – Chess Chief. The Into Mischief colt bankrolled $274,970 last year helped in part by “top four” finishes in several Derbies around the country. After winning a maiden special weight at Fair Grounds last March, Chess Chief went on to a fifth place finish in a key Derby prep — the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland. From that point, the well traveled Dallas Stewart trainee finished second in the West Virginia Derby, third in the Oklahoma Derby and fourth in the Indiana Derby. All were Grade 3 stakes. He also ran in the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga. Chess Chief was bred by Morgan’s Ford Farm and is out of the Mineshaft mare, Un Blessed. He is owned by the Estate of James J. Coleman, Jr. and was a $145,000 purchase at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton New York Yearling Sale.

Chess Chief wins a $46,000 allowance at Fair Grounds to kick off his 2020 campaign. Picture courtesy of Hodges Photography.

Top Virginia-Bred/Sired 3-Year-Old Filly – Out for a Spin. The Hard Spun mare pretty much secured this award when she captured the Grade I Ashland Stakes at 52-1 odds last April at Keeneland. The Dallas Stewart trainee beat six other sophomore fillies and won by a neck over Restless Rider with Paco Lopez in the irons. Out for a Spin was also victorious in an allowance race at Fair Grounds three weeks before the Ashland. After competing in the Kentucky Oaks, the Dallas Stewart trainee only ran two other times last year. She was runner-up in the Bob Fortus Memorial Stakes (black-type) at Fair Grounds and was third in an allowance optional claimer at Churchill. Bred by the William Backer Revocable Estate, Out for a Spin earned $364,610 in 2019. She is out of My Mammy by Came Home, and is co-owned by the Commonwealth Stable, Randy Bradshaw and Stonestreet Stables.

Out for a Spin captured the April 6th Ashland Stakes at Keeneland. Photo courtesy of Keeneland.

Top Virginia-Bred/Sired 3-Year-Old Turf Filly – Holly Hundy. The now four-year-old Yes It’s True filly reached the winners circle three times in 2019 including once at Colonial Downs in the Camptown Stakes September 7. Kent Desormeaux directed that 3 3/4 length victory in Holly Hundy’s only non-west coast race of ten last year. She also prevailed twice at Santa Anita — in a maiden special weight and in an allowance optional claimer. Bred by Lazy Lane Farms and owned by David & Holly Wilson, Holly Hundy bankrolled $154,473 in 2019. She is out of Cryptos’ Best by Cryptoclearance and was a $180,000 purchase at the Ocala two-year-old sale.

Holly Hundy was best in the Camptown Stakes September 7 on Colonial Downs’ closing night. photo by Coady Photography.

Visit the “News” section of vabred.org to read about the first 6 award winners.

The following appeared in Thoroughbred Daily News on March 31.

By Len Green

Editor’s note: The Thoroughbred racing industry is covered under legislation passed in Washington to bolster an economy that has been hard hit by the coronavirus. To clarify what is available to racing participants, the NTRA held a teleconference Wednesday which included tax experts who serve the racing industry. To break down what is available and who qualifies for assistance, the TDN asked Green Group Founder and Chairman Len Green to go over the CARES Act and its provisions.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) became law Mar. 27. The provisions most relevant to employers and small business owners, including those who are self-employed, covers items such as federal loans and tax credits.

Below is a brief overview of the key provisions.

Federal Loans, Grants, Loan Forgiveness, Credits and Deferrals

The CARES Act provides numerous forms of incentives and assistance for businesses to be funded by the Federal Government. These include loans, grants, loan forgiveness, tax deferments and tax credits. There are a variety of programs available. Here is a summary of some of them:

1. Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EID Loan) – $2 million Package

Small businesses (fewer than 500 employees), for profit and non-profit, can apply to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a loan of up to $2 million to help alleviate the temporary loss of revenue caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19).

EID Loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that a business cannot pay due to the impact of the pandemic. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses and 2.75% for non-profits.

EID Loans have long term repayment periods of up to 30 years, but specific loan terms, including the amount awarded, is determined by the SBA on a case-by-case basis.

The SBA will require collateral, generally real estate, to support the loan, but will not deny a loan simply because the borrower owns no real estate. This could be a process taking several months.

To apply for the EID Loan you can follow this link https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/.

Contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

2. SBA Rapid Relief Grants

Recognizing that the time it can take to process an EID Loan application could leave small businesses in desperate circumstances or unable to survive, the CARES Act includes $10 billion for emergency SBA grants of up to $10,000 for small businesses or non-profits which have applied for an EID Loan. Recipients can use the grant funds to cover immediate payroll, mortgage, rent and other specified expenses. The grant does not have to be repaid, but only businesses which apply for an EID Loan are eligible. The Act states that the SBA shall pay grants within three (3) days following the SBA’s receipt of the grant application. But because so many companies are eligible, there could be a delay.

To apply for the EID Loan, you can follow this link at https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/.

Contact the SBA Disaster Assistance Customer Service center at 1-800-659-2955 (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) or disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

3. Paycheck Protection Loans

This is the big one–the CARES Act also includes $350 billion to fund another loan program for small businesses with fewer than 500 employees, including non-profits, as well as sole proprietors, independent contractors and self-employed persons, during the period from Feb. 15, 2020 through June 30, 2020.

The program is based on a presumption that small businesses will suffer economic hardships due to COVID-19, so borrowers do not have to demonstrate their losses, as they do to secure an EID Loan.

Limit of Loan

The amount of Paycheck Protection Loans are 2.5 times the average monthly payroll costs incurred during the one-year period before the date of the loan, up to a maximum of $10 million. This is important–payroll costs include salary/wages/commissions to employees and independent contractors (up to annualized salary of $100,000 per employee), sick/family leave/PTO, severance payments, group health benefits (including insurance premiums), retirement benefits and state and local taxes assessed on employee compensation.

The loans will have a maximum term of 10 years and an interest rate not to exceed 4%.

Use of Funds

Borrowers may use loan proceeds for: payroll costs; continuation of group health care benefits during periods of paid sick, medical, or family leave, or insurance premiums; salaries or commissions or similar compensation; interest on mortgage obligations; rent; utilities and interest on other outstanding debt.

Applicants do not pay any processing fee and are not required to provide collateral or personal guarantees. To apply for assistance, follow this link https://covid19relief.sba.gov/#/.

If you have questions about this application or problems providing the required information, please contact SBA Customer Service Center at 1-800-659-2955 or (TTY: 1-800-877-8339) disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

4. Paycheck Protection Loan Forgiveness

Unlike EID Loans, a portion of Paycheck Protection Loans can be forgiven, on a tax-free basis. The amount of the loan that is forgivable is the sum of the payroll costs, mortgage interest payment, rent and utilities incurred or paid by the borrower during the eight-week period beginning on the loan origination date.

Verification

An independent company (like a CPA) can submit schedules and documentation to assist the borrower with their request for forgiveness. The amount of forgiveness will be reduced, if the borrower laid off or furloughed any employees during the period between Feb. 15, 2020 and June 30, 2020 or reduced wages/salaries of any employees by more than 25% during the same period. In recognition of the fact that many employers instituted layoffs before the CARES Act was passed, if an employer rehires the laid off employee or raises salaries and wages back to their prior level by June 30, 2020, the reduction formula does not apply to those employees.

5. Employee Retention Tax Credits

Employers who do not request loan forgiveness of a portion of a Paycheck Protection Loan, may be eligible for a refundable tax credit equal to 50% of wages (including health benefits) paid to employees during the period Mar. 13, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020, subject to certain conditions, and is provided for the first $10,000 in eligible wages and compensation paid by the employer to an employee. Thus, the credit is a maximum $5,000 per employee.

To be eligible, an employer either must have had operations fully or partially suspended because of a shut-down order from a governmental authority related to COVID-19, or had gross receipts decline by more than 50% in a calendar quarter when compared to the same quarter in 2019. Eligibility will end before Dec. 31 if the employer’s gross receipts for any calendar quarter are more than 80% of receipts the same quarter in 2019.

For employers with more than 100 employees only (based on 2019 employment levels), wages are limited to those paid to employees who were not providing services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Public employers are not eligible for this program.
Eligible employers will report their total qualified wages and the related health insurance costs for each quarter on their quarterly employment tax returns, or Form 941 beginning with the second quarter. If the employer’s employment tax deposits are not sufficient to cover the credit, the employer may receive an advance payment from the IRS by submitting Form 7200, Advance Payment of Employer Credits Due to COVID-19.

Eligible employers can also request an advance of the Employee Retention Credit by submitting Form 7200. Employers should contact their payroll companies to make sure the process will be streamlined with their quarterly filings.

6. Payroll Tax Deferral

The CARES Act also allows employers, who did not request loan forgiveness of a portion of a Paycheck Protection Loan, to defer payment of their share of the 6.2% Social Security tax on wages paid from Mar. 27, 2020 through Dec. 31, 2020 (or the equivalent portion of self-employment taxes). The deferred taxes are payable in two installments, 50% on Dec. 31, 2021 and 50% on Dec. 31, 2022. Employers should contact their payroll companies to make sure the process will be streamlined with their quarterly filings.

Remember, the above is based on the law as it now is being interpreted and may be subject to changes.

For more information, please contact Diane Campagna at dcampagna@greenco.com (732) 510-1429, Jim Benkoil at jbenkoil@greenco.com (732) 510-1422 or John Wollenberg at jwollenberg@greenco.com (848) 212-4018.

Jeb Hannum is Executive Director of the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA) which is made up of four member groups: The Virginia Thoroughbred Association (VTA), Virginia Horsemen’s Benevolent & Protective Association, the Virginia Harness Horse Association (VHHA) and the Virginia Gold Cup Races.

Given the unknown in regards to the Coronavirus pandemic, any thoughts you can share with the equine community in Virginia?

Sadly, each day it seems to get a little bit worse for the racing industry and other equine events. The steeplechase community is trying very hard to have a series of races in the late spring but even now that is in jeopardy. In regards to flat racing at Colonial, the issue now is that the OTB’s are closed so the revenue that we were counting on for purses is not accumulating the way we had originally planned. The harness meet in Woodstock is scheduled to start in September so I hope we’re far enough out that it will not be affected.

A month ago, before the pandemic affected the Commonwealth, the legislative session was nearing completion and was at a crucial point for the racing industry? Can you give us any updates.

The good news is that the casino bill that passed the House and the Senate has protections for the horsemen and for Colonial Downs. The key provision is that it allows for an increase in the number of Historical Horse Racing (HHR) machines — specifically in Vinton and in Dumfries. This will help offset the decline in HHR revenue which is expected when the casinos come on line in a few years.

The horsemen and the coalition of gaming companies that help put the casino bill together are encouraging the Governor’s office to sign the bill ‘as is’. It is a complicated piece of legislation and it would be most beneficial for all parties to have it become law now. If necessary, any technical changes could be addressed in the next legislative session.

Is there anything members of the equine community can do to help in this regard?

The best thing is to contact the Governor’s office and ask him to sign HB 4/SB 36 as is.

With Colonial Downs still 3 1/2 months away from opening, Shenandoah Downs 5 1/2 months away and sanctioned steeplechase meets scheduled in late spring and in the fall, there is still hope to maintain much of Virginia’s racing schedule. Your thoughts as it gives people at this challenging time something to look forward to.

It looks like with all the cancellations this spring that it could be a very busy and exciting time for racing in the summer and the fall. Other events like the Upperville horse show I understand are also considering summer or fall dates. It is certainly an unprecedented and trying time. But horsemen are by nature very tough and used to some level of adversity. I am confident that we will come out of this and let’s hope that we can get racing very soon.

Below is a letter from Alex Waldrop, NTRA President and CEO. The NTRA’s site has many helpful links to alert horsemen of various issues related to the Coronavirus pandemic. Access is available at www.ntra.com/covid-19/ 

NTRA Update on Federal Response to Coronavirus Pandemic
March 26, 2020

Like virtually every other industry and sport, U.S. horseracing is grappling with the realities and uncertainties brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of businesses and individuals – from farms to racetrack employees, trainers, and the backstretch workers who care for our horses – have had their lives disrupted in ways we could not have imagined only a short time ago. That being said, the industry’s first priority at this time must be the health and safety of our workforce and the general public at large.

In response to the pandemic, Congress and the Administration are in the process of passing a series of bipartisan bills aimed at combating the coronavirus, jump starting the economy and providing financial relief to individuals and businesses during these uncertain times. Here is a list of the recently enacted and pending legislation:

The Coronavirus Preparedness Response and Supplemental Appropriations Act, already passed by Congress and signed by the President, allows $1 billion in loan subsidies to be made available to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and non-profit organizations which have been impacted by financial losses as a result of the coronavirus. Contact your local small business administration office for more details on how to access this new loan program.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, also passed by Congress and signed into law, provides paid leave, establishes free testing, protects public health workers and provides important benefits to children and families for those impacted by the coronavirus. Protections for the employers of affected workers also are included in the legislation in the form of tax credits to offset the costs of providing emergency sick leave.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or CARES Act is a bill now before the U.S. Senate that is expected to provide an economic stimulus package valued at $2 trillion. The bill would provide direct payments to many Americans, including individuals and couples; $130 billion to hospitals that are seeing their resources stretched to the brink and beyond in their battle to combat the coronavirus, $500 billion for corporations; $367 billion for small businesses; $150 billion in aid for local and state governments; and billions of dollars in extended unemployment benefits for furloughed workers.

We expect this bill to be passed by both House and Senate and signed by the President by the end of this week. The NTRA continues to review this massive stimulus package and will provide details as they become available. It is likely that Congress will turn its attention in coming weeks or months to a fourth bill, especially if the crisis worsens. While the first three bills are aimed mostly at the general economy, the fourth bill may well focus on damage to specific economic sectors and efforts to help those sectors and their workers.

Undoubtedly, our industry has been adversely impacted with racetrack and casino closures, the postponement of equine sales, and other negative economic events necessitated by federal, state and local orders and recommendations as well as the industry’s own duty and responsibility to promote the safety of our workforce and public health in general.

Our challenge with regard to this fourth bill will be to compete with many other industries for limited federal resources, especially since our industry is built most visibly on sports betting and entertainment. Nonetheless, we are significant employers and represent a massive agribusiness with an extensive economic footprint across the nation. We will make our case at the Federal level for horseracing as we advocate for our $36.6 billion industry that accounts nationwide for nearly half a million jobs.

Stay safe and stay tuned for future updates, and please visit NTRA.com for information on how our industry is responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

– Alex Waldrop, NTRA President and CEO

At a time when everyone is seeking signs of a return to normalcy in the months ahead, Colonial Downs, in conjunction with the New Kent Fire Department and Virginia Department of Forestry, conducted a controlled burn of its Secretariat Turf Course Monday.

Monday’s controlled burn at Colonial Downs began in the far turn.

The burn began at 4 PM under sunny skies and breezy conditions. This annual burn helps prepare and nurture the country’s widest grass racing surface for a six-week summer thoroughbred season which is scheduled to begin July 23 and continue through August 29.

Brush trucks and New Kent Fire Department members doused flames.

The burn itself takes dead “cover” off the turf in a rapid manner and allows it to grow back more plush, green and safe within weeks if not days. The controlled burn strategy is used as opposed to trimming, because the fire drives nutrients back into the soil. This method yields benefits over cutting the grass.

Colonial Downs VP of Racing Jill Byrne stands in front of a blackened turf course.

“The dormant leaf that sits atop the Bermuda grass is dead and that’s what burns,” said Colonial Downs VP of Racing Jill Byrne. “If we were to cut and blow that leaf, it would take ten days and we’d lose nutrients.”

The New Kent Fire Department worked in conjunction with the Department of Forestry.

The burn took several hours and was overseen by Colonial Down’s Racing Operations Manager Jeff Wingrove. The New Kent Fire Department supplied brush trucks which were positioned both inside the turf course and outside the track’s perimeter to prevent flames from spreading. A crew of fire swatters was also on hand to ensure the fire stayed within its planned boundaries.

Racing Operations Manager Jeff Wingrove (left) with Track Superintendent Ken Brown.

Monday’s burn took place on Secretariat’s 50th birthday. The iconic Virginia-bred was born March 30, 1970 at The Meadow Farm in Doswell.

The 2019 controlled burn was held on April 16. A milder winter enabled the ’20 burn to take place earlier.

Colonial’s Secretariat Turf Course is 180 feet wide and at its outermost part, is 1 1/8 miles around. Ten different rail positions and lanes are available over the surface to maximize its use during the meet. It is divided into an inner turf course and an outer turf course. Last year, 130 of the 144 races contested were held on grass.

Monday’s burn started in the far turn and went in a clockwise direction.

Here are additional pics of Monday’s spectacular sight in New Kent.