Officials from Turfway Park have announced they will cancel its Friday night program Dec. 23 due to freezing temperatures and a forecasted wind chill as low as 25 below zero.
Hawthorne race course in suburban Chicago has also said it is cancelling Friday's card due to extreme weather. Hawthorne races originally carded for Friday will be added as extras for the final weekend of racing Dec. 30-31, when the track plans to offer 11-race cards.
The National Weather Service forecast for Friday in Florence, Ky., where Turfway is located, calls for a 20 percent chance of snow showers and a high of 6 degrees. The breezy conditions could lead to wind chills ranging from 10-25 below zero.
Turfway Park is scheduled to resume racing Wednesday with a first post of 5:55 p.m. (all times Eastern) The Holiday Meet is scheduled to run through Saturday, Dec. 31 and the Winter/Spring Meet will begin with a special New Year's Day card on Sunday, Jan. 1.
Director of Racing Tyler Picklesimer will add, and re-draw, the races from Friday's card to racing next week.
For more information about racing from Turfway Park, visit www.TurfwayPark.com.
In other news, Turfway Park has been approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission to begin offering a 50-cent Late Pick 5 wager starting Wednesday, Dec. 28.
Turfway currently offers bettors an early Pick 5 wager in Races 1-5 at a low 15 percent takeout. The Late Pick 5 wager will have the same 15 percent takeout and will span the final five races each day.
Any carryover from the Early or Late Pick 5 will be added to the next day's Late Pick 5 pool.
Turfway will conclude its Holiday Meet Saturday, Dec. 31 and have a mandatory payout in all wagers.
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