Louisville mayor: 'No question' Kentucky Derby will be different
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Photo:
Eclipse Sportswire
In a recent COVID-19 pandemic video briefing, Louisville mayor Greg Fischer fielded a question about the 2020 Kentucky Derby which, of course, has been postponed until Sept. 5.
Asked Friday if he felt comfortable with the Derby being run "as normal" at Churchill Downs, Fischer said,
"This Kentucky Derby will be different. There’s no question about that."
In pushing the Derby back from the first Saturday in May, Churchill Downs officials said last month that they intend to run the race and do so with fans present.
But Fischer is convinced more than the Derby's date will separate this 146th renewal from the rest.
"I’m comfortable saying this is not going to be like if we go back to the first Saturday in May about a year ago right now and say, ‘Is the Kentucky Derby going to be like that?' Nothing in America is going to be like that, when you go back to a year ago," Fischer said.
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Fischer did not speculate whether the race would be conducted with spectators present or, as some racetracks have been able to go forward, behind closed doors.
"There’s going to be new protocols. There’ll be new ways to test people as they move in and out of different operations and facilities -- especially when large groups of people are getting together," Fischer said.
"But we’ve got multiple months to figure out what that looks like. Again, the guidance is always going to be: How can it be put on safely? The track and around the city? That will be the guiding decision for everything."
Fischer noted the involvement of many sectors in the community that are necessary to support the city's largest annual event, which carries with it an accompanying Derby Festival of an air show, fireworks and other activities in the two weeks leading up to Derby day.
"You’ve got the Kentucky Derby at the track, and then you’ve got the whole other system that puts on the Kentucky Derby -- everything from transportation to our city, hotels, restaurants, etc," Fischer said. "All of that needs to be very thoughtfully reviewed."
Louisville has not been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus, as city officials confirmed 1,044 cases and 78 deaths stemming from it. Fischer had no new fatalities to report on Friday.
With four months to go until the first Saturday in September, Fischer is optimistic there will, in fact, be a Kentucky Derby this year.
"There’s just a lot of time between now and then, and we’ll be working in close partnership with Churchill Downs and all of the community and state and national partners that come together to put on the most famous two minutes in sports," he said.
"We look forward to what that outcome is going to be, but, again, health and safety will be driving those decisions."
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