Oaklawn cancels weekend racing due to weather, impending storm
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Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., has canceled racing for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday due to continued freezing temperatures and impending severe weather, said Jason Milligan, the track’s vice president of racing operations. The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon.
Milligan said the Pippin Stakes that was to have been run Saturday will now be held next Sunday. It will be redrawn and is open to original nominees.
There was no training at Oaklawn on Monday or Tuesday due to freezing temperatures. The track was able to offer training Wednesday afternoon, but Oaklawn later canceled training for Thursday and Friday with overnight temperatures forecast to drop to 19 degrees.
Four to eight inches of snow is in the local forecast for Thursday and Friday.
This is the second cancellation of the season after Oaklawn lost all but one of its races Dec. 28 due to a lightning storm.
Milligan said Oaklawn has been following the winter storm forecast closely this week and noted little has changed as forecasts continue to call for a severe storm in the area.