With projected heat indexes in excess of 105 well into the evening and the safety of horses, jockeys, and staff working outdoors being paramount, Canterbury Park has canceled the June 21 Northern Stars Turf Festival program that had been scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT. Racing June 22 will be moved from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with racing officials closely monitoring the forecast.
The three $50,000 stakes that were part of the June 21 card—the Canterbury Derby, Lady Canterbury, and Brooks Fields—are being rescheduled for June 28 and will be redrawn when entries are taken June 22.
A number of other tracks also announced cancellations and postponements in reaction to the heat wave.
Century Mile Racetrack and Casino and Columbus also canceled racing Saturday. Columbus preemptively canceled racing June 22, as did Hawthorne Race Course.
Parx Racing has scrapped its June 23-24 cards, and Delaware Park canceled racing June 25.
Finger Lakes rescheduled its June 24 card to June 26, track management announced. Post time for the special Thursday card, normally a dark day, remains at 1 pm.
