The big fancy hats and mint juleps will have to wait this year.
The 146th running of the Kentucky Derby has been postponed until September due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to news reports.
The delay could mean that the other two races that make up the coveted Triple Crown — the Preakness and Belmont stakes — will likely be rescheduled as well, although no other announcements have been made.
The move announced Tuesday by Churchill Downs will push Louisville’s annual race back to Sept. 5 from the usual first Saturday in May, when the Derby sits as the world’s crown jewel equestrian event.
This year's delay is only the second time in the Derby's 145-year history that the race has been pushed to a new date, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, citing sources at Churchill Downs.
The last delay was in 1945, when the Derby was held June 9 after the government issued a ban on horse racing because of World War II, the Courier-Journal reported. In 1901, it was held on April 29.
Other major sporting events that have been suspended or canceled include the NCAA basketball tournament and the Masters in Augusta. The Boston Marathon was also pushed to September.
Professional basketball, baseball, hockey and soccer leagues also suspended play in response to the pandemic, which has now spread throughout the United States.
Due to the outbreak, Atlanta’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Sunday recommended canceling all public gatherings with 50 or more people for the next eight weeks. By Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump advised Americans to avoid social gatherings of 10 or more people, saying it could be July or August before the virus subsides.
MLB also announced Monday that it would delay the opening of the regular season from two weeks to eight weeks.
As of Monday, no professional league had called off its entire season.
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