Steady rain forces cancellation of Oaklawn's Thursday card

Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., canceled its nine-race program on Thursday due to a saturated surface. The area has had steady rain since Tuesday, and in that time, the surface has taken more than five inches of rain, according to a release from Oaklawn.

“The safety of the horses and riders is always our first concern,” said David Longinotti, director of racing for Oaklawn. “The rain began about 3 p.m. Tuesday and has barely stopped since.”

The cancellation was made about an hour before first post Thursday. There was no training at Oaklawn on Wednesday or Thursday. Racing is scheduled to resume Friday.

The cancellation is the second at the meet that opened in January.