LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Churchill Downs welcomed guests under the Twin Spires for the first time since the coronavirus hit.

Churchill Downs spokesperson Darren Rogers said a lot of the advance work to make Sunday safe was already in place because Churchill Downs was prepared to host 23,000 Kentucky Derby fans in September.

The new normal at the iconic racetrack includes the mandatory wearing of masks, temperature checks and a medical screening at the entrance gate, and social distancing practices at concession stands and when placing bets. 

“It’s nice to get back to a little bit of that normalcy. I know I can speak for the track operators, but I think I’m also speaking for the jockeys, the trainers, [and] the owners themselves. It’s been eery having these horses come down the stretch with no fans, no crowd, no noise. It’ll be nice to hear some people cheering those horses as they thunder down the stretch.”

Last year, Rogers said Churchill Downs had an average daily attendance of 4,200 guests for Fall Meet. He said he doesn’t expect spectator numbers to be that this year. On Sunday, 1,534 attended race day. Despite lower attendance, Rogers said Churchill Downs is looking forward back to getting back to normal. 

“I think that the people in our community want to get back to some normal, but we have to do it in a safe and responsible fashion, and this, for me, I think it’s a great step towards 2021,” Rogers said. 

Fall Meet races run every Wednesday through Sunday starting at 1:00 p.m. There are no general admission tickets sold this year, just assigned first floor boxed seats for the same general admission price of $5. Tickets can be purchased in advance or walk-up tickets are also available at Churchill Downs box office.