Racing was canceled Sept. 29-30 at Aqueduct Racetrack and Meadowlands due to significant rainfall forecast to create hazardous weather in New York and New Jersey.
The New York Racing Association further announced that it had moved Saturday’s 11-race card at Aqueduct to Oct. 1, and pushed Sunday’s 10-race program to Oct. 4 due to torrential rainfall causing widespread flooding and hazardous conditions in the New York metropolitan area.
With as much as five inches of rain expected, Ozone Park, N.Y., is under a flash flood warning and flood watch throughout the day on Friday.
Saturday’s card, headlined by the $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes (G1T), will move in its entirety to Sunday with a first post time of 12:05 p.m. ET. The lucrative 11-race program also features the $400,000 Woodward Stakes (G2), the $250,000 Gallant Bloom Stakes (G2), and the $250,000 Vosburgh Stakes (G2), a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series: Win and You’re In event for the Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1).
Trainer Bill Mott, who has four entrants in the stakes shifted to Sunday, called the delay “a minor bump in the road.”
“We will run on Sunday now as scheduled. It’s a minor bump in the road,” the Hall of Famer said. “I’m hoping for a safe track and good weather.”
Mott will be sending out heavy favorite Cody’s Wish in the Vosburgh and 2022 winner War Like Goddess in the Joe Hirsch among his starters.
The 10-race card originally scheduled for Sunday will move in its entirety to Wednesday with a first post time of 1:05 p.m. Wednesday’s action is co-headlined by a pair of “Win and You’re In” qualifiers for juveniles at 1 1/16 miles on turf. The $200,000 Pilgrim Stakes (G2T) awards a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T), while the $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes (G2T) for fillies awards a berth to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T).
The Friday’s featured $150,000 Noble Damsel Stakes (G3T) was moved to Oct. 8 while the $125,000 Ashley T. Cole Stakes to Oct. 6.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
