Rescheduled Kentucky Derby hopes to outrace COVID-19

The rescheduled Kentucky Derby will take place this September with pandemic restrictions on fans who dare to risk watching the race in person.

On Wednesday, Churchill Downs Racetrack (CDRT) confirmed that, following discussions with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and state health officials, the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, September 5 at the iconic Louisville racetrack.

The annual Derby Week event was supposed to take place in early May but CDRT’s parent company Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) was forced to cancel the festivities due to fears that jamming thousands of people cheek-to-jowl in grandstands was possibly not the best strategy in the face of a global pandemic.

CDRT president Kevin Flanery said the company had worked with state officials to establish “a comprehensive set of operating procedures” to keep fans and organizers safe during the five-day Derby Week festivities.