10/04/2012 11:20AM

Belmont Park: Pilgrim and Miss Grillo switched from Sunday card to Monday

By David Grening
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ELMONT, N.Y. – With a forecast that calls for wet weather Sunday and with its turf courses already saturated by rain, the New York Racing Association has moved two turf stakes scheduled for Sunday at Belmont Park to Monday’s Columbus Day card.

NYRA officials have moved the Pilgrim, for 2-year-old males, and the Miss Grillo, for 2-year-old fillies, to Monday. Though typically a dark day on this circuit, Belmont will have live racing Monday because of the holiday.

Both Grade 3 races are worth $150,000 and are respective Win and You’re In races for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Juvenile Fillies Turf.

“We want to keep them on the grass,” said Andrew Byrnes, stakes coordinator for the NYRA.

There will still be live racing at Belmont on Sunday.

Trainer Graham Motion, who plans to run horses in both races, said he was fine with the decision to postpone them by one day.

“It’s logical,” Motion said. “I think it makes sense, for sure.”

The Pilgrim and Miss Grillo will join the $150,000 Pebbles Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on Monday’s card to make up a turf stakes tripleheader.

Wet weather prompted NYRA to move all turf races scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday to the dirt.

Dan Cronin More than 1 year ago
Can someone tell me why horse racing cant get with Tarp companys and have a tarp to cover the turf? If baseball and football can do it , it can be done, its just a tarp? How hard can that be?
W.G. More than 1 year ago
Try covering two turf courses that are 1 5/16 and 1 3/16 Miles in circumference. It's a lot different than trying to cover a baseball or football field.