Portland Meadows cancels Monday card due to winter weather

Portland Meadows canceled Monday’s 14-race card, which was scheduled to mark the debut of the track’s National Racing Club Sweepstakes Rainbow 6 Jackpot, due to freezing rain and snow.

“Our track does very well with rain and can be worked on if we have intermittent freezing rain, but a serious cold snap, snow accumulation, and freezing rain is not something we’re built for,” Karsten Hennze, vice president of corporate operations for track owner The Stronach Group, said in a statement. “While we’re disappointed in having to delay the launch of our $100,000-guaranteed Rainbow 6, we’re looking forward to getting it started next Monday.”

The new wager will be offered on the last six races of each Monday card for six weeks, and if no unique winning ticket is sold during that time, there will be a mandatory payout Feb. 15, the track said. The bet has a 10-cent base, and each ticket must total at least $1. The takeout rate is 22 percent, and the pool is guaranteed at $100,000.

The six races in Monday’s sequence each were to cover a quarter-mile and were worth $3,000, with jockeys being randomly assigned mounts. Jockeys will be awarded points based on the performances of their mounts, and those with the most points at the end of the contest will be eligible for bonuses.