Smoke from hundreds of wildfires in eastern Canada has created a haze that's significantly impacting air quality in parts of the Northeast, forcing cancellations and training limitations at some racetracks.
A orange-brown haze descended over the Ohio Valley and the East Coast beginning Monday, with air quality ratings impacts as far south as the Carolinas and as far west as Wisconsin, according to reporting from NBC News.
Finger Lakes cancelled part of its Tuesday card and all of its Wednesday card in response to air quality deterioration. It is not scheduled to resume racing again until Monday, June 12. Delaware Park cancelled Wednesday and Thursday racing due to air quality concerns.
Per the Daily Racing Form, Woodbine has cancelled both afternoon racing and morning training for Thursday, permitting only light work due to air quality issues. The New York Racing Association announced that morning training would be cancelled at Saratoga and Belmont Park for Thursday, with a decision about racing to come Thursday morning. The National Weather Service has issued an air quality alert for an area that includes Elmont, N.Y., which remains in effect until 3 p.m. Thursday and people are being urged to limit strenuous outdoor activity while air quality is poor.
According to the Thoroughbred Daily News, racing went on at Parx Wednesday despite an air quality index rating of 173 at post time which is considered “unhealthy.”
Major League Baseball postponed games that had been scheduled for Wednesday evening in New York and Philadelphia.
This week's PTHA Trophy race going 1 mile & 70 yards with a competitive field running for the $35,000 purse goes by the stands for the 1st time #PTHA #ParxRacing pic.twitter.com/OrKIct7ACQ
— PTHA (@PTHA17) June 7, 2023
Many racing fans have asked whether the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority has regulations regarding racing and training safety based on weather conditions.
“HISA is working with affected racetracks to provide guidance to ensure the safest possible conditions for racing,” said Mandy Minger, director of communications for the Authority. “HISA does not have a specific rule regarding air quality but HISA's Racetrack Safety rules require racetracks to develop, implement, and annually review hazardous weather protocols. HISA supports the use of the Air Quality Index as published at airnow.gov to guide decisions about training and racing. Air quality can vary significantly between tracks, and the authority to alter training and racing schedules ultimately lies with the individual jurisdiction and racetrack. Horsemen and women are encouraged to take into account the airway health of their teams and the individual horses in their care, even in the absence of modified training and racing schedules. HISA's Director of Equine Safety and Welfare, Dr. Jennifer Durenberger, is available to provide guidance as these air quality decisions are made at the local level.”
The Authority does have a suggested protocol it provides to tracks to help guide decision-making about weather conditions. According to this model protocol, air quality index ratings of 100 to 150 should prompt additional monitoring of equine health. Ratings from 150 to 174 come with a suggestion to potentially “limit training to jogging and/or jogging and gallops only.” Air quality ratings of 175 or higher come with the suggestion to cancel live racing, official works, and limit exercise to jogging.
According to AirNow, air quality index ratings at ranking sites surrounding Belmont Park ranged from 129 to 294 on Wednesday afternoon.
Reporting from The Horse in 2022 indicates that air quality index ratings at and above 150 can have impacts on equine health and veterinarians suggest riding should be limited until smoke clears.
The post As Air Quality On East Coast Worsens, Here’s HISA’s Policy On Racing/Training Cancellations appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
