Aqueduct schedules make-up card for Wednesday

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Forced to cancel part or all of seven cards since Dec. 5, Aqueduct has added Wednesday, Jan. 21, to its live racing schedule. That day was originally scheduled as dark because Aqueduct will be open Monday, Martin Luther King Day, for live racing.

Aqueduct canceled its Thursday card because of a forecast that called for cold temperatures and snow. It was the fifth full card scrapped since the inner track opened. Two other cards were canceled after races had been run.

"The weather forecast is very poor," said Bill Nader, senior vice president of the New York Racing Association, "and there is no reason to believe the forecast will change at this point. However, because of the number of cancellations this winter, we are adding a race on Saturday and a full card next Wednesday."

A decision on Friday's card will be made early Friday morning, racing officials said. The temperature is not expected to get out of the mid-teens Friday, and the wind chill is expected to be near or below zero.

Aqueduct will conduct 10 races on Saturday, including the Affectionately and Aqueduct handicaps. Both are Grade 3 events worth $100,000. Despite the added race, post time remains 12:30 p.m.