Fair Grounds cancels Thursday card

Fair Grounds Race Course on Wednesday cancelled the racing program on Thursday, Jan. 18 owing to wintry weather in the area.

New Orleans had record cold on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning in addition to a mix of sleet, ice, and snow. The conditions were unusually harsh by area standards and led to widespread cancellations, postponements, and travel problems. The low temperature early Thursday morning was forecast to be an unusually low 23 degrees, with Thursday’s high expected to reach 42.

“With the freezing temperatures affecting both dirt and turf, the possibility of off turf would be pretty much certain,” said senior director of racing Jason Boulet. “We would face huge numbers of scratches due to off turf, no shippers, and some trainers not being comfortable of racing on a dirt surface that could still be impacted by freezing temperatures.”

Fair Grounds intends to resume racing with a “Starlight Racing” card Friday, with first post scheduled for 5:00 Central. Friday’s high temperature is forecast to be a relatively balmy 55 degrees.