Heat wave forces cancellation of horse racing cards

A heat wave gripping the Midwest and East Coast has forced numerous horse racetracks to cancel cards on Friday and over the weekend.

The New York Racing Association canceled Saturday’s card at Saratoga due to excessive heat forecast for eastern New York, where the heat index could climb as high as 110 degrees in the afternoon.

Other tracks canceling racing on Friday, Saturday or Sunday included Belterra Park in Cincinnati (Friday and Saturday); Delaware Park (Saturday); Ellis Park in Henderson County, Kentucky (Friday and Saturday); Finger Lakes, New York (Saturday); Laurel Park in Laurel, Maryland (Saturday and Sunday); Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pennsylvania (Saturday); and Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, Ontario (Friday).

Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey, plans to proceed with its program on Saturday despite forecasts of a triple digit heat index.

The card is headlined by the $1 million Haskell Invitational featuring Maximum Security, the first horse ever to be disqualified after crossing the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby. The race also is scheduled to be broadcast by NBC Sports.