Sunday racing canceled at Columbus due to unsafe track conditions

COLUMBUS, Neb. – The Sunday card at Columbus Races was called off before the first Sunday afternoon due to unsafe track conditions after rains hit the area both Friday and Saturday evening.

Saturday night's card was started off with a track listed as slow, then shifted to muddy as rains fell through the evening. The eight-race card was completed without serious incident, but several horses were having trouble negotiating the turns on this five-eighths-mile oval. The Sunday card, scheduled to get under way at 2 p.m., appeared to have a chance of getting started. Horses reported to the paddock for the first race but were not saddled.

Riders and track officials walked the stretch 15 minutes before post time after the maintenance tractors had trouble with several spots on the racing surface. The decision to cancel came shortly before 2 p.m.