Prairie Meadows moves Monday card to Thursday due to extreme heat

Prairie Meadows in Altoona, Iowa, has moved its Monday card to Thursday due to extreme heat, the track announced on Monday morning.

The Monday card, including trial races for the Prairie Meadows Derby Challenge, will be run as drawn on Thursday, with a first post of 6 p.m. Central Time. The decision was made in consultation with Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse groups and the state racing commission, according to Prairie Meadows.

The Monday decision follows a weekend in which Prairie Meadows adjusted its post times to cope with extreme heat in the area. On Monday, the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat advisory for the Altoona area, with a forecasted high of 91 degrees and the heat index topping 110 degrees.

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The recent heat wave in the Midwest caused multiple tracks to cancel entire race cards this weekend, including Ellis Park in western Kentucky, which scrapped its Sunday and Monday programs. Those will be replaced with additional races throughout the meet and extra days of racing on Aug. 1 and Aug. 8.

Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minn., adjusted its post times for Sunday’s card for later in the evening and ended up canceling its last two races due to lightning when a powerful summer storm hit the track.

The Midwest heat wave is forecasted to break later this week after a prolonged period of above-average temperatures and sporadic rainfall.

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