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MIAMI — Jack Knowlton has a condo about a mile away from the finish line at Gulfstream Park. And that’s as close as he will get to the winner’s circle Saturday.

He’s hoping his horse can get there anyway.

The 69th running of the Florida Derby is Saturday, and it will be like none other — no fans in the stands, no owners allowed at the track, no bets placed on site. The coronavirus pandemic forced massive changes in the interest of health and safety to what is typically the signature day on Gulfstream’s annual calendar, but the race is still set to go on as scheduled in Hallandale Beach.

Tiz the Law, owned by Knowlton, is the 6-5 morning-line favorite. The race was drawn Wednesday to be a field of 12 in the $750,000, nine-furlong run over Gulfstream’s dirt, but relative long shots Soros and Ajaaweed have since been scratched.

“We planned probably 60 or 70 of our people were going to be down for the race,” Knowlton said. “Obviously, the world changed all of our plans.”

The Florida Derby winner will surely pick up enough standings points to clinch a spot in the Kentucky Derby, and the runnerup likely will as well. And even though the Triple Crown season has been delayed — the Kentucky Derby has been moved from May to September — the rules still apply, meaning if there is a Run for the Roses, the points system for qualifying will still be utilized.

“In uncertain times like this, we felt like we need to go ahead and take what’s right in front of us now as opposed to possibly waiting around for something else,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who has two entries for the Florida Derby, Gouverneur Morris and Candy Tycoon.

Pletcher’s plans for the race changed a bit when Javier Castellano, who was to ride Candy Tycoon, was diagnosed this week with coronavirus. The virus was caught in a physical that was mandated by track officials as a condition of Castellano — who has been in New York, one of the hotspots of this pandemic — being cleared to race again at Gulfstream, where he last rode March 15.

“It is because of our strict protocols requiring all jockeys to be screened prior to entering the facility that Javier’s symptoms were recognized and he was able to be tested, for which we know he is thankful,” Gulfstream officials said in a statement released by the track.

Meanwhile, Gulfstream Park was informed earlier in the week that horse racing is not considered essential under Broward County’s executive order closing businesses deemed nonessential, according to a Thursday email from Assistant County Attorney Rocio Blanco Garcia that was forwarded to Hallandale Beach officials.

The order allows Gulfstream Park and other businesses to continue “minimum basic operations” during the coronavirus pandemic, the email says. Broward County does not consider horse racing to fall under that definition, subjecting Gulfstream Park’s races to closure, according to the email.

The email says a representative from Gulfstream Park reached out to “the County Administration” this week regarding racing and was told racing is not considered “fundamental.” The email among county officials was forwarded to Hallandale Beach Vice Mayor Sabrina Javellana.

A Gulfstream Park spokesman was asked Friday by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for comment on the county official’s email. The spokesman did not immediately respond.

Gulfstream Park raced horses Wednesday, Thursday and Friday despite Broward County’s executive order, which went into effect Monday. The track had no racing scheduled for Monday or Tuesday.

The county has said enforcement of the executive order is up to the cities. Sun-Sentinel messages for the city manager and city attorney on Thursday and Friday to ask about enforcement of the county’s order were not returned.

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