Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort announced Tuesday that pursuant to the Arkansas Department of Health directive for Casino Extension made Monday, Oaklawn's casino will remain closed until April 30 to combat the spread of COVID-19.
Racing will continue through May 2, but no spectators are guaranteed through April 30, Oaklawn Media Relations Manager Jennifer Hoyt said.
"Honestly, if we could get spectators that last weekend, we'd love it, but we're just playing it day by day," she said.
Oaklawn announced on March 15 that after two people in Garland County tested positive for the virus, the decision was made to voluntarily close the casino for two weeks, effective March 16-30.
"This includes Silks Bar and Grill, Bistro 2705 and the Sports Book," a March 15 news release said. "The racing operations will continue without spectators during this same time period."
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson subsequently ordered Oaklawn and the state's two other casinos -- Southland in West Memphis, and Saracen Casino Annex in Pine Bluff -- to close for the remainder of March as one of the efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Oaklawn President Louis Cella said in the March 15 release that the nearly 1,000 team members Oaklawn has on staff during the 2020 live racing season, including all year round and seasonal team members, would continue to be paid their salary and benefits during the two-week period.
The newspaper asked Oaklawn officials Wednesday whether employees would continue to be paid through the extended closure and had not received a response by presstime.
Oaklawn posted a video on its YouTube channel on Tuesday featuring Hall of Fame Horse Trainer D. Wayne Lukas talking about the pandemic's effect on the horse racing industry.
"A virus is a tough opponent; it's taken charge of the whole country in a lot of ways," Lukas said. "We're still up and running; we still are fighting it ... and we've got one other caveat that other businesses don't have: We have to take care of the horses, (and) we're going to take care of the horses. These people work long hours, they work seven days a week, they have to get a paycheck and we're going to get them a paycheck."
He said the industry will beat COVID-19 because it has great leadership.
"Each and every one of us have to buy into the fact that we're going to win; we're going to beat it," Lukas said. " ... I think that we'll start creeping back and we might be bigger and stronger because of it than we ever could have been before. Believe me, the horse racing industry misses you, misses the fans, and we all miss you too."
Local on 04/02/2020