ELMONT, N.Y. – Red Carpet Ready would have been the favorite and horse to beat in the $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes had racing not been canceled Thursday at Belmont Park due to unhealthy air quality. But in light of those circumstances, trainer Rusty Arnold opted not to re-enter her when the six-furlong dash for 3-year-old fillies was redrawn Thursday to be run as part of Sunday’s 11-race program.

Nest, the champion 3-year-old filly of 2022, will now target the Grade 2, $200,000 Shuvee Stakes on July 23 at Saratoga for her 3-year-old debut, trainer Todd Pletcher said Thursday.

Nest, who has not raced since finishing fourth in the in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, was initially being pointed to the Doubledogdare at Keeneland in April for her return. When she wasn’t ready to make that, the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, run Saturday, was the next goal.

First Mission, who was scratched from the Preakness due to an issue with his left hind leg, was diagnosed with a minor case of bone bruising and is getting 60 days off, trainer Brad Cox said.

“It was very minor, didn’t expect it to be much,” said Cox, who added First Mission is on the farm in Kentucky.

First Mission had won two of three starts including the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes. He was made the 5-2 second choice on the morning-line for the Preakness behind Kentucky Derby winner Mage before he was scratched the day before the race.

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Horsemen with runners in Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes did not seem overly upset they were unable to train their horses Thursday at Belmont Park.

Due to the poor air quality conditions in the New York area stemming from the wind-blown smoke from the Canadian wildfires, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday evening that it had canceled training for Thursday at both Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Thursday’s live racing program at Belmont Park was canceled due to the air-quality issue impacting the Northeast from the Canadian wildfires, the New York Racing Association announced Thursday morning.

NYRA is hopeful that racing – and training – will be able to resume Friday, when conditions are expected to improve. Belmont has an 11-race card Friday with five stakes races. First post Friday is 12:50 p.m.

Of course, Saturday is Belmont Stakes Day with an 11-race program including nine stakes that begins at 11:20 a.m.

ELMONT, N.Y. – Training Thursday at Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course has been canceled due to poor air-quality conditions forecast to continue to impact New York state overnight and into Thursday morning, the New York Racing Association announced Wednesday evening.

Training hours at Belmont Park are from 5:30-10:30 a.m. and at Saratoga from 5:30-11 a.m.

ELMONT, N.Y. - The Belmont Park undercard leading up to Saturday’s Belmont Stakes figures to be just as compelling and entertaining as the main event itself and offers eight graded stakes, five of them Grade 1’s, topped by the $1 million Metropolitan Mile.

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Woodbine Entertainment’s board of directors has announced the appointment of sports and business leader Michael Copeland as chief executive officer, effective Oct. 1.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Raise Cain, the eighth-place finisher from the Kentucky Derby, has been rerouted from Saturday’s $1.5 million Belmont Stakes to Sunday’s Grade 3, $400,000 Matt Winn Stakes at Ellis Park, trainer Ben Colebrook said Monday afternoon.

The Matt Winn was originally scheduled to be run at 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs. With the decision to stop racing at Churchill due to the spate of equine fatalities this spring and move racing scheduled for Churchill to Ellis Park, the Matt Winn will now be run at 1 1/8 miles.