The grass races scheduled for Aug. 9 at Saratoga Race Course have been moved to the main track and the steeplechase race has been postponed due to prolonged periods of rain that have soaked the courses and caused races to be taken off the turf the last three racing days.
The impacted turf races on Wednesday’s card are the third, fourth, sixth, and 10th as per the original order of races, though there will only be nine races contested without the steeplechase. It was scheduled as the opening race of the day, which moved first post to 1:46 p.m.
The third and sixth, both maiden races, will be contested at 5 1/2 furlongs on the main track, with the fourth race, an allowance optional claimer, now 1 1/4 miles on dirt, and the 10th, a maiden race, staying at a mile.
Wednesday’s $70,000 allowance steeplechase has been moved to the Aug. 16 card. As a result, the $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard Stakes, a grade 1 steeplechase, has been moved to Aug. 23, and the Michael Walsh Novice Stakes, which had been set for Aug. 23, was canceled and will not be rescheduled.
Heavy rain Aug. 4 caused the cancellation of the final four races on the card, including the $500,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T), which was shifted to Aug. 11.
