LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Keeneland's vice president of sales says the industry has weathered conflict before and expects no major impacts on the Spring Meet or Kentucky Derby.
As war enters its fifth day in Iran, the horse racing industry is watching closely. Iran sits perilously close to a region vital to the sport, and the conflict has already created disruptions for those connected to it.
Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy said colleagues found themselves unable to leave Dubai for a time until airspace slowly reopened this week.
"Had to get through Oman because the airspace was closed down," Lacy said. "They went through Riad airport and had a little bit of delay and got out and was able to find a direct flight to Amsterdam yesterday morning," said Lacy.
The disruption comes as Dubai looks toward the running of the Dubai World Cup, a qualifier for the Kentucky Derby. Lacy said the broader economic uncertainty surrounding the conflict could pose risks to the industry.
"It's an economic disruption, and it creates a ripple effect," Lacy said. "It doesn't have to be a direct effect, it can be something that is — like the stock markets, or exchange rates can be just as damaging to our business as anything else."
Still, Lacy said the industry has faced similar moments before and pushed through.
"I actually landed in Dubai the night the Second Gulf War started," Lacy said. "And that was unsettling because it was so much uncertainty. They ran the World Cup a few days later. Lots of international participants and business as usual."
Lacy attributed that resilience to the nature of the sport itself.
"Horse racing is one of those things. We drive on. We keep going," Lacy said.
As for the current conflict, Lacy said he does not expect major impacts on Keeneland's Spring Meet or the Kentucky Derby.
"No, there's absolutely no concern," Lacy said. "I think there has been, like I said, when the airspace starts opening up again you start to see the sense of normality coming back. When you see the drones and the interception of the missiles, it's certainly not settling in the normal sense of the word."
Keeneland says it continues to monitor the conflict and its potential impacts.
