Horses Are Coming Back To Churchill Downs | PHOTOS
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The winners circle at Churchill Downs sits empty, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. Racing will soon resume without spectators for a storied track accustomed to fans cheering the thoroughbreds beneath the Twin Spires. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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A betting window sits empty at Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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A pair of workers boots sits in the training stable area at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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A jockey's saddle sits on a bail of hay at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky Derby has been postponed until Sept. 5, because of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Training stables are prepared for Steve Asmussen Racing Stable at Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Rob Meeker prepares the training stables for Greg Foley Racing at Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. Racing will soon resume without spectators for a storied track accustomed to fans cheering the thoroughbreds beneath the Twin Spires. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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A betting window sits empty at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Tom Williams blows loose grass in the Winners Circle at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky Derby has been postponed until Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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An empty starting gate sits on the track at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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A buglers red coat is reflected into a mirror inside of the Pagoda at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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The training stable of D. Wayne Lukas sits empty at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Run For The Roses wasn't held on the first Saturday in May for the first time since 1945, and it remains to be seen whether the new date on Sept 5 will draw the same crowds and attention. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Jockeys' tops hang in a stable at Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Run For The Roses wasn't held on the first Saturday in May for the first time since 1945, and it remains to be seen whether the new date on Sept 5, will draw the same crowds and attention. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Plaques display the winning horses' names that have been trained by Bob Baffert on a training stable at Churchill Downs, Wednesday, April 22, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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The sun rises over the track at Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky Derby has been postponed until Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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A statue of Barbaro is silhouetted at the entrance of Churchill Downs, Wednesday, May 6, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky Derby has been postponed until Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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The sun rises over the track at Churchill Downs, Thursday, May 7, 2020, in Louisville, Ky. The Kentucky Derby has been postponed until Sept. 5 because of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Let the races begin. After several delays because of coronavirus concerns that ended up postponing the Kentucky Derby to Labor Day weekend, Churchill Downs opened its stables for the first time since winter renovations began in December.
Racing will resume on May 16 without spectators, an interesting challenge for a storied track accustomed to fans cheering the thoroughbreds beneath the Twin Spires.
The horses’ arrival for training is encouraging for a sport that’s mostly been on hold, along with everything else, because of measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Last weekend’s Arkansas Derby without fans offered a long-awaited glimpse of live action, if not some hints of which colts to watch when the 146th Kentucky Derby runs on Sept. 5. Seeing the backside barns slowly fill up at horse racing’s most famous track, even in colder-than-expected weather for May, was another positive step toward resuming the routine horsemen and track workers thrive on.
More work lies ahead for Churchill Downs and an uncertain Triple Crown. The Run For The Roses wasn’t held on the first Saturday in May for the first time since 1945, and it remains to be seen whether the new date will draw the same crowds and attention. Likewise for the Triple Crown, where the Preakness and Belmont Stakes could precede the Derby instead of following it.
As those scenarios play out, Churchill Downs prepares for the sweet sounds of horses galloping on the track.
