Beulah cancels midway through card

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Beulah Park canceled racing after the third of eight races on Saturday. The card was canceled after temperatures surged above freezing, along with plenty of sunshine, thawing the track unevenly.

Saturday was the 35th day of Beulah's winter/spring meet. Beulah has lost five entire days, and three partial days since the meet began Jan. 7.

"The weather just won't cooperate," said Joe Deluca, steward and track maintenance supervisor. "It seems like it warms up and then we get plenty of rain or freezing rain, and then the temperature drops and we get snow and the track freezes, which is not a problem.

"But then the weather warms and it thaws out again. Two nights ago it was nine degrees and tomorrow it is supposed to be 48, if we could just get some consistent weather we would be fine."

The races were canceled Saturday after three races because the jockeys deemed the track unsafe. "When it starts to thaw out, they say it gets slick because it is still frozen underneath." Deluca said.

Beulah has added four Fridays in March - March 7, 14, 21 and 28 - to make up for the lost days. The meet is scheduled to end on Derby Day, May 3.