Aqueduct cancels Monday card due to frigid temperatures
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Aqueduct will not conduct live racing Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, due to a forecast that calls for frigid conditions, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday.
The forecast on weather.com for Monday calls for a high of 20 degrees, with wind chills in the single digits to near zero.
NYRA also announced that there will be no training at Aqueduct or Belmont Park on Monday.
The $100,000 Interborough Stakes, scheduled for Monday, has been rescheduled for Jan. 25. Races in the condition book for Monday will be brought back as extras for next Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
“We made this decision in the best interests of the safety of all participants, and to provide horsemen with ample opportunity to plan the best course of action for their athletes and staff,” Martin Panza, NYRA’s senior vice president of racing operations, said in a press release.
The forecast for Sunday isn’t very promising, with a mix of snow, sleet, and rain, but NYRA has already drawn entries for that day’s eight-race card and, as of now, plans to run.
In its release announcing Monday’s cancellation, it said NYRA officials will monitor Sunday’s ever-changing weather forecast and provide updates on a potential cancellation should conditions warrant.
After four dark days, live racing is scheduled to resume Friday with an eight-race card that begins at 12:50 p.m. Eastern.
