It’s the Super Bowl of equestrian sports – but this year, the 146th Kentucky Derby will be quiet enough to hear a horse snort at the starting gate.  

Churchill Downs announced Friday that no fans will be allowed in the stands for the iconic race.

The original plan was to allow a limited number to watch in person.

“With the current significant increases in COVID-19 cases in Louisville as well as across the region, we needed to again revisit our planning,” Churchill Downs Incorporated said in a statement on the Kentucky Derby’s website.

“Churchill Downs and all of our team members feel strongly that it is our collective responsibility as citizens of Louisville to do all we responsibly can to protect the health, safety and security of our community in these challenging times and believe that running the Derby without spectators is the best way to do that.”

According to the statement, “only essential personnel and participants will be permitted on property.”

Ticket holders will be automatically issued a refund.