Oaklawn Cancels Saturday

[michiken]

Just a heads up. Oaklawn has cancelled for Sat. 2-18.:(

[Lasix1]

And here I am with a handful of useless Saturday Oaklawn PP's, looking at an inch of ice in my driveway, and wondering if I can walk to the track for simulcasting. It's only 7 miles........ :(

[Buddha]

Add sunday and monday to the cancellations as well

[Lasix1]

Add sunday and monday to the cancellations as well
I drove to the track today on dry roads for simulcasting and the track was in much better condition than Aqueduct is on any number of winter days. No precipitation and a high of about 26. Tomorrow we're looking at partly cloudy and 46, so there is no reason why they couldn't run. Charitably, I think the track made the decision on the forecast which called for a possibility of freezing rain, coupled with poor road conditions in many parts of the state.

The Southwest Stakes, featuring such 3-year-old luminaries as Lawyer Ron, Music School, and Steppenwolfer has now been rescheduled for this coming Saturday, Feb. 25. The Mountain Valley Stakes will also run on that day.

This was a big 3-day weekend to lose.

[point given]

I drove to the track today on dry roads for simulcasting and the track was in much better condition than Aqueduct is on any number of winter days. No precipitation and a high of about 26. Tomorrow we're looking at partly cloudy and 46, so there is no reason why they couldn't run. Charitably, I think the track made the decision on the forecast which called for a possibility of freezing rain, coupled with poor road conditions in many parts of the state.

The Southwest Stakes, featuring such 3-year-old luminaries as Lawyer Ron, Music School, and Steppenwolfer has now been rescheduled for this coming Saturday, Feb. 25. The Mountain Valley Stakes will also run on that day.

This was a big 3-day weekend to lose.


I read on DRF I believe, that the Southwest stake will now be run this Thursday ! after previously reading it was next saturday.

[kenwoodallpromos]

Oaklawn said AR was too dangerous for horsmen and for fans for racing- but not too dangerous for simulcast bettors!LOL!! :confused:

[Lasix1]

Point Given,

Here's the official word from Oaklawn. The Southwest Stakes is on for Saturday, the 25th.

TRACK LOSES ENTIRE PRESIDENTS DAY HOLIDAY WEEKEND TO BAD WEATHER

A combination of a frozen racing surface and continued adverse weather conditions in the area forced Oaklawn officials to cancel racing for the entire Presidents Day holiday weekend, Saturday-Monday, February 18-20. Oaklawn was able to open only for Simulcast and Instant racing on those days. It marked the first weather-related cancellation of Oaklawn races since 2003, when weather caused the cancellation of six racing days as a result of three different storms that year.

"We had hopes for some cooperation from Mother Nature in forecasts earlier in the week" noted general manager Eric Jackson (in photo) on Sunday morning, "But that relief never occurred. We faced a weekend where the temperatures did not get past the freezing mark. Our decisions are always based on safety to horses, jockeys, fans and employees, so there was no question how we had to decide. The roads in Hot Springs were pretty good throughout the weekend, but that was not the case through the rest of the state."

"Our plan now," Jackson continued, "Is to get the track back as soon as possible and have it in great racing shape by Thursday. The weather forecasters indicate that we will have fine weather conditions by midweek and return to sunshine and warmer temperatures by Thursday. We will open with eleven-race cards on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 23-25. The extra race on each of those days will be the stakes races we lost this weekend. We will race the Pippin Stakes (originally scheduled on Saturday, February 18) on Thursday, the Martha Washington Stakes (originally scheduled on Sunday, February 19) on Friday, and the Southwest Stakes (originally carded for Monday, February 20) on Saturday. These are races of national importance and we want our horsemen to have the chance to prepare their horses safely for all the major events coming up in the next few months."

[toetoe]

Can Astrodirt be far off?

[Lasix1]

Can Astrodirt be far off?
It wouldn't have helped in this case. Some of the horse people said that the track was fine and the trainers and jockeys wanted to run, but Oaklawn was responding to pressure from state officials who wanted it cancelled because of poor road conditions in many parts of the state. The track was certainly in good enough shape Sunday and Monday, but roads weren't and that seemed to seal the deal. The track was well-attended for simulcasting and their pseudo-slot machines called "Instant Racing" all three days, but nothing like what they would have had for live racing.

It's a shame, too. Typically 10% of the track's revenues come from that traditional 3-day weekend which includes the President's Day card. If you run in the winter, this is the chance you take, but Oaklawn isn't about to run horses up against fall football in this pigskin-obsessed state.