Turfway cancels another card

Turfway Park canceled yet another racing program on Thursday, citing an unusable racetrack caused by a freeze-and-thaw cycle that continues to thwart and frustrate track personnel.

The Thursday cancellation was the ninth time since the winter-spring meet began Jan. 1 that Turfway has canceled all or most of a program. Since Jan. 20, the track has conducted just one full card. The problems with the track apparently stem from prevailing weather conditions in the Cincinnati area - temperatures above freezing during the day and below freezing at night, a cycle that renders the racing surface patchy and uneven. Turfway races at night on weekdays and during the day on weekends.

"What can you do?" said the track's president, Bob Elliston. "I know our guys do everything they possibly can. They work the track 24-7, but it is frustrating because sometimes you just can't fight Mother Nature."

Elliston said Turfway could have run Wednesday, but a power outage forced the track to cancel.