Severe weather forces Keeneland to call off last four opening-day races
The last four races on the opening 10-race card of the Keeneland Spring Meet were canceled on Friday because of inclement weather in Central Kentucky.
The cancellation is believed by Keeneland officials to be the first time races have been called off because of weather in the track's history.
"The safety of our patrons, our jockeys and the horses is our No. 1 priority," Keeneland President and CEO Bill Thomason said Friday afternoon. "We made the decision to cancel the remainder of the day's card given the strong storms moving through the area over the next several hours."
Heavy rain soaked the area most of the morning but the weather cleared out for much of the afternoon, leaving the main track sloppy. With a Flash Flood Warning issued for Fayette County through 7 p.m. and a Tornado Watch in effect for much of Central Kentucky through midnight, officials made the call to cancel the rest of the card with about one minute to post before the seventh race.
Among the races postponed Friday was the Grade III Transylvania Stakes, originally scheduled for 3-year-olds going 11⁄16 miles on the turf. The Transylvania, which was among the two grass races pulled off the turf Friday, will be redrawn and rescheduled for April 15.
Simulcasting did continue at Keeneland on Friday evening after the live racing cancellations.
Keeneland will resume racing Saturday with an 11-race program that begins at 12:35 p.m., highlighted by the Grade I, $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes.
Payment and/or refunds on wagers affected by Friday's cancellation are as follows:
■ All individual race wagers on the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th races, including win, place, show, exacta, trifecta, superfecta and super high five wagers, will be fully refunded.
■ Daily Double: The Daily Double for races 6 and 7 will pay to all in race 7. The Daily Double for races 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be refunded.
■ Pick Three: The Pick Three for races 5-7 will pay to all in the 7th race. The Pick Three for races 6-8 will pay to all in the 7th and 8th races. The Pick Three for races 7, 8, 9 and 10 will be refunded.
■ Pick Four: The Pick Four for races 7-10 is a refund.
■ Pick Five: The Pick Five for races 6-10 is a refund.
■ Pick Six: The Pick Six for races 5-10 is a refund.
This story was originally published April 3, 2015 at 4:55 PM with the headline "Severe weather forces Keeneland to call off last four opening-day races."