Canada wildfires: New York air issues leads to first day of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival cancellation
Thursday’s big meeting at Belmont Park has been canceled due to poor air quality conditions affecting the wider New York area.
Air quality in the state is now “unhealthy”, according to the Environment Protection Agency, and a murky haze has descended over landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Times Square.
Unusually early and intense wildfires in Canada’s Quebec province are to blame – more than 150 forest fires were burning on Tuesday – and over 100,000 people have been forced to evacuate.
With conditions unlikely to improve throughout the day, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) made the call early on Thursday morning.
The meeting was due to be the opening day of the 2023 Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, with the Gr2 Wonder Again Stakes and the Jersey Girl Stakes rescheduled to Sunday.
A starting gate remains unused on an empty track as haze from Canadian wildfires obscures the sun ahead of the Belmont Stakes
“Safety is paramount as we navigate this unprecedented situation,” said NYRA President & CEO David O’Rourke.
“NYRA will actively monitor all available data and weather information as we work toward the resumption of training and racing both here at Belmont Park and at Saratoga Race Course.
A handler wears a mask as she leads a horse back into the stables as the sun is obscured by haze caused by northern wildfires
“Based on current forecast models and consultation with our external weather services, we remain optimistic that we will see an improvement in air quality on Friday.”
Live racing is scheduled to resume on Friday at Belmont Park with the first race scheduled for 5.50pm UK time.
