Hawthorne scraps Friday card

Hawthorne canceled its Friday card after two races, the third time in a week it has lost most of a program because of wet track conditions.

There has been only minimal precipitation in Chicago this week, but above-freezing temperatures have melted much of the several inches of snow that fell here Saturday and Saturday night.

Mounds of snow pushed under the inside rail when the track had been cleared impeded drainage, and water was pooled along the fence when racing began Friday. Jockeys stayed well clear of the rail in the first two races, and after a delay, the track announced that the rest of the card had been scrapped.

With New York in the midst of a break in their racing calendar, this is typically a good time of the meet for Hawthornes handle. Friday was an especially tough day to lose, since there were carryovers in the early pick four, the pick six, and the place pick nine.

Training here also has been canceled on Saturday morning.