Aqueduct cancels most of Friday card due to fog

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The final seven races of Friday’s Aqueduct card were canceled due to heavy fog that made it nearly impossible for the stewards to see the races.

Without the ability to clearly see the races, the stewards could not adjudicate any issues that might arise during a race.

The cancellation comes on the heels of seven consecutive full cards that were canceled at Aqueduct due to extreme weather conditions in the Northeast. On Dec. 30, Aqueduct ran four races before the jockeys refused to ride, citing concerns with the track. The last time an Aqueduct card was completed was Dec. 29.

The start of Friday’s card was delayed 20 minutes to 12:40 p.m. Eastern due to heavy fog that rolled in late morning. It rained briefly, clearing the fog somewhat, and the first two races went off without incident. Hembree ($2.70) won the first under Luis Reyes for Rudy Rodriguez, while Lillard Hall ($13.40) won the second under Angel Arroyo for Gary Contessa.

However, both races were run in fog, which only worsened as the day wore on and the temperatures hovered in the low 50s.

It was announced shortly after the second race that the third would be delayed as the stewards and management hoped the fog would lift. But by 1:50 p.m., that was not the case, and the stewards and management felt that it would not have been possible to complete the nine-race card if race 3 could not go off by 1:56 p.m.

Among the races canceled Friday was the $100,000 La Verdad Stakes, making this the second time in six days that the race for New York-bred female sprinters was canceled due to weather.