Hawthorne cancels due to cold weather

Hawthorne Race Course has canceled Sunday's nine-race program because of a sharp drop in temperature and high winds. The decision to scrap the card was made at about 9:15 a.m., general manager Jim Miller said, and is a departure from three recent cancellations, all of which occurred after two races had been conducted.

"This way, no one had to treat their horses (with Lasix), and we can bring the races back that much more quickly," Miller said.

Hawthorne's track had been muddy all week, but the mercury plummeted late Saturday night, going from the mid-40s to under 20 degrees, and freezing up the racing surface. Additionally, wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour were sweeping through the area Sunday.