Turfway Park's cards for Friday and Saturday have been canceled, with severe winter weather expected in the region.
Turfway is located in Florence, Ky., which, like the entire state, is under a winter storm watch from early Saturday morning through early Monday morning. According to the regional National Weather Service forecast office in Louisville, “significant amounts of snow, sleet, and freezing rain” are expected, and those in the area should “plan for considerable disruptions to daily life.” Prior to that, the NWS is calling for wind-chill values to dip into the single digits on Friday.
In addition to canceling the two race programs, Turfway said in a message to horsemen that the track will more than likely lose some training days as a result of the winter weather. Following the storm, no day next week is projected to get above 25 degrees in early forecasts. Temperatures are expected to dip into single-digit or negative values in the evenings, when the track races, or during morning training hours.
Turfway, which races on a Wednesday-Saturday schedule, said the canceled races from Friday and Saturday, both nine-race programs, will be offered as extras on subsequent race days. Saturday night's featured $125,000 Wishing Well Stakes for female sprinters has been moved to Friday, Jan. 30. Entries will be re-taken for the race on Jan. 23.
Turfway's nine-race Thursday card will run as scheduled, with a first post of 5:55 p.m. There is a $388,720 carryover in the pick six, which is a jackpot wager. Its survival past tonight, when racing resumes, would certainly heat things up.
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