Thistledown cancels Tuesday card amidst track safety concerns

Thistledown racetrack outside of Cleveland, Ohio, has canceled its Tuesday race card amidst ongoing discussions about safety concerns at the track.

The Tuesday cancellation is the sixth straight live racing card to be affected by the safety issue, which arose last Monday after horsemen and jockeys complained about rocks emerging in the main track. Thistledown canceled all four of its live racing dates last week and then canceled the final seven races of its Monday card after a horse in the first race broke down early in a six-furlong claiming race and was euthanized.

Thistledown officials have not returned phone calls.

The Monday card was canceled after Lisa Lazarus, the chief executive officer of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, placed a call to the track’s management team and asked officials to begin an investigation into the safety concerns. On Tuesday, a HISA spokesperson said that a discussion between Lazarus and track management did not result in a plan of action. The spokesperson said that management agreed to cancel both training and racing on Tuesday while discussions continued.

Thistledown races on a Monday through Thursday schedule.

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