Belmont cancels Thursday card due to air quality

ELMONT, N.Y. – Thursday’s live racing program at Belmont Park was canceled due to the air-quality issue impacting the Northeast from the Canadian wildfires, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday morning.

NYRA is hopeful that racing – and training – will be able to resume Friday, when conditions are expected to improve. Belmont has an 11-race card Friday with five stakes races. First post Friday is 12:50 p.m.

Of course, Saturday is Belmont Stakes Day with an 11-race program including nine stakes that begins at 11:20 a.m.

“Safety is paramount as we navigate this unprecedented situation,” NYRA President and CEO David O’Rourke said in a press release. “NYRA will actively monitor all available data and weather information as we work toward the resumption of training and racing both here at Belmont Park and at Saratoga Race Course. Based on current forecast models and consultation with our external weather services, we remain optimistic that we will see an improvement in air quality on Friday.”

NYRA announced Wednesday that there would be no training at Belmont Park or Saratoga Race Course on Thursday due to the air-quality issues.

The two stakes races scheduled for Thursday – the Grade 2, $200,000 Wonder Again Stakes and the $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes – were to be rescheduled for Sunday and re-drawn Thursday along with the other scheduled races.

The indoor facilities at Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack were to be open for simulcasting Thursday.

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