It has been announced that all racing in Ohio has now been cancelled through April 30, 2020.

News of the extended cancellation has come from the Ohio State Racing Commission, which had originally cancelled live racing until at least April 6.

OSRC Executive Director Bill Crawford announced a directive outlining the extended cancellation of racing in the state on Tuesday, March 31.

The contents of the directive appear below.

Please be advised that the Ohio State Racing Commission has issued an Order effective March 31, 2020. The details follow.

1. Horse racing is cancelled at your facility through April 30, 2020;

2. If your backside (including dormitories) is open, it SHALL remain open and operational until further notice;

3. If your track is available for training, it SHALL remain open for reasonable equine exercise until further notice.

The intent of this directive:

1. Prevent horse abuse/abandonment;

2. Allow for consolidated feed operations;

3. Prevent homelessness for those who temporarily/seasonally reside on the backside;

4. Provide adequate exercise for horses on property needed to prevent injury potentially caused by confinement.

It is incumbent on the horsemen organizations in the State of Ohio and the racing permit holders operating as Racinos in the State of Ohio to submit a 30-day and a 60-day plan to comply with this directive (including financials) to the Ohio State Racing Commission (Commission) not later than midnight April 2, 2020.

The Commission considers themselves a partner with the horsemen and permit holders in reaching a solution to the issues and stand ready to assist the parties in compromise.

You should take all reasonable measures possible to continue social distancing practices. The Commission will continue to update you as pertinent information becomes available.

Thank you for your patience as we all deal with this unprecedented and very fluid situation.