Belmont Park cancels Sunday card due to very hot weather

Belmont Park has canceled its Sunday racing program because of extreme heat.

The card was canceled just about the time it was supposed to begin, at 1:30 p.m. Eastern. A press release from the New York Racing Association said the card was canceled “by order of the stewards.” The release said that “a spike in afternoon temperatures prior to the first post made conditions unsuitable for racing.”

The temperature at nearby JFK Airport, which could be lower than Belmont since it is located on Jamaica Bay, was 90 degrees as of 1:45, the heat index at 99. The high temperature in Elmont on Sunday was forecast to be 96.

The Sunday feature, the $100,000 Saginaw Stakes for New York-breds, will be rescheduled, NYRA said. Live racing resumes Wednesday at Belmont; first post, 1:30.