1/9-10 (OP): Oaklawn Cancels Opening Weekend
 

FRI 8th (3:49) Dixie Belle S.

6 Furlongs | Fillies | 3 Year Olds Stakes | Purse: $100,000

1 Toutsie Rules Graham J 117 L
2 Scadadle Mello D 114 L
3 Joy of the Saints Vazquez R A 119 L
4 Timeaday Esquivel E 119 L
5 Super Saks Thompson T J 114 L
6 Simply Confection Court J K 117 L
7 Strawberry Baby Loveberry J 119 L
8 Sarah Sis Felix J E 119 L
9 Promise Me Silver Berry M C 122 L
10 Lil Super Bear Borel C H 119 L
11 Empressive Humor Santana R Jr 114 L

SAT 8th (3:49) Fifth Season S.

1 1/16 Miles | Open | 4 Year Olds And Up Stakes | Purse: $100,000

1 Carve Castanon J L 122 L
2 Code West Berry M C 122 L
3 Doctor Peter Thompson T J 115 L
4 Bourbonize Bridgmohan S X 122 L
5 For Greater Glory Ocampo I 119 L
6 Serendip Santana R Jr 115 L
7 Zee Bros Court J K 122 L
8 Real Appeal Deal Borel C H 115 L

Can't wait. Really hope they can race tomorrow.

Cancelling the whole weekend.. Opening next Thursday now.

too bad, but not surprising

I'm a little bit surprised. Not unusual for them to cancel on opening day, especially, if there is snow, but no snow today and the sun is shining, but it is pretty cold for Arkansas. 15 degrees right now, but supposed to getup to 31 which probably sounds like a heat wave to you folks in NYC. There is a power outage to parts of Hot Springs today which may have something to do with the closure or more likely, the track is frozen.

one would think, as much as they close/cancel opening weekend in Ar-Kansas, they would simply move the opening of the meet back a few weeks?
it's not like they're competing with anyone else in the state

-bt-

this was the earliest they'd scheduled an opener. last time they had to push back the opener was 2011.
all tracks face adverse conditions at times, regardless of when they schedule their meet.

what keeps them from opening in late Jan early Feb. and going through June?
i guess my point was, there is no other competition in the state to run up against, so why chose to start a meet in the coldest month of the year?

-bt-

there's no other competition in state, but there certainly is elsewhere.

Gotta think April's a killer for them. Keeneland starts, Aqu moves to the main plus they get back on to the turf in the Northeast.

Talked with our Crew there today (most came from Woodbine) said it felt colder today there than any day the had this past meet at Woodbine. Actually pretty cold for Ocala I don't believe the thermometer got past 45 today.:D