ELMONT, NY – Live racing will resume Friday at Belmont Park after air quality improved significantly in the state, the New York Racing Association announced.
Both Belmont and Saratoga reopened for practice Friday morning, and the 11-map race begins at 12:50 p.m. The NYRA said in a statement that it will be actively monitoring air quality conditions and forecasts to ensure the environment remains safe for racers and fans ahead of Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.
The race at Belmont Park was canceled on Thursday due to poor air quality caused by wildfires in Canada. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had warned that the Belmont Stakes, the final leg of the Triple Crown, could be impacted if conditions don’t improve by Saturday.
New York Racing Association vice president of communications Patrick McKenna said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday that state officials and NYRA have been consulting on how we can “in our combined effort to provide the safest environment for training and the.” to create racing of thoroughbred horses”, should proceed further.”
McKenna had said his group remains “optimistic that conditions will allow practice and racing to resume on Friday ahead of Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.”
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