Belmont Park is officially calling off its entire weekend racing program for Saturday and Sunday, and it’s all thanks to a brutal nor’easter absolutely *bearing down* on Long Island. This isn’t just some light rain, folks, this is a full-on weather smackdown.
Nor’easter Slams Weekend Racing with 50 MPH Gusts
The New York Racing Association dropped the news Friday, citing a forecast for heavy rain and sustained high winds. The National Weather Service even has Long Island under a wind advisory for both days, with gusts expected to rip through at over 50 mph. You can’t run top-tier racing in that, plain and simple. It’s a gut punch for everyone looking forward to a killer weekend at the track, but rider and horse safety absolutely has to come first. This isn’t the first time weather has played spoiler either, with a July 29 program at Saratoga Race Course also getting canceled due to torrential rainfall.
Over $1.9 Million in Stakes Races Rescheduled
This cancellation isn’t just some overnight races getting bumped, either. We’re talking about *six massive stakes races*, with a combined purse of a whopping **$1,900,000**, all originally set for Saturday and Sunday. Can you believe it? The Grade 1, **$500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic**? *GONE* from the weekend card. Same goes for the Grade 2, **$500,000 Flower Bowl**, the Grade 3, **$250,000 Vosburgh**, the Grade 2, **$250,000 Gallant Bloom**, the Grade 3, **$200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint**, and the Grade 3, **$200,000 Winter Memories**. That’s a serious hit to the weekend action! The good news is all six of those stakes races are getting pushed to next Thursday’s card. Plus, NYRA got approval for new Wednesday race days on September 30 and October 7 to make up for some of the lost action, with those cards featuring the overnight races that were supposed to run this weekend. This place just reopened on September 18 after a three-year, $555 million renovation, so you know they’re itching to race and losing a weekend is a punch to the gut after all that work.
October’s Packed Schedule and Refund Details
These aren’t the first make-up dates either. NYRA already had approval for October 14, 21, and 28 to cover earlier cancellations. What this all means is Belmont Park will now be running a packed Wednesday through Sunday schedule all throughout October. For the fans who snagged tickets and pre-paid parking directly through NYRA sales, Ticketmaster, or FEVO, you can breathe a little easier, you’re eligible for a refund or ticket credit. But if you went with a third-party vendor, NYRA says you’re out of luck on their end.
So, no racing this weekend means we’re all looking ahead to next week. Can Belmont make up for lost time and get these incredible races off without a hitch? You bet everyone will be watching closely for those rescheduled stakes races on Thursday and the added Wednesday cards. It’s a bummer, but safety first, right?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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