Remnants of Hurricane Ike delivered a knockout punch to live thoroughbred racing Monday as Thistledown was forced to cancel its eight-race program.
The decision was made by General Manager Brent Reitz in midmorning after the track's maintenance crew reported damage to the one-mile racing surface and toppled fencing.
"We hope to be able to offer our patrons full-card simulcasting wagering today on a menu of out-of-town racing," said Reitz. "We will resume our live racing schedule on Friday."
Thistledown's late summer and fall schedule calls for it to be dark Tuesday through Thursday. Full-card simulcast wagering is available on dark days. Monday's cancellation is the first this year due to weather conditions.