Yonkers, NY – Yonkers Raceway cancelled the remainder of the Friday night (Dec. 18) program after the first pari-mutuel race due to unsafe track conditions.

The cancellation followed a snowstorm that dumped more than a foot of snow on the half-mile oval late Wednesday night (Dec. 16) into Thursday morning (Dec. 17). The storm also forced the cancellation of the entire Thursday night card. However, the track called off the Thursday card at 9:10 a.m., well before the scheduled 7:12 p.m. first post. Friday’s game-time cancellation followed dozens of horses, caretakers, trainers, and drivers shipping in at considerable expense.

Jordan Stratton, the chairperson of the Standardbred Owners Association (SOA) of NY’s driver’s committee and one of the track’s leading reinsman, commented that the surface was inconsistent.

“Some spots were frozen solid. Others were deep and slushy,” Stratton said after driving even-money favorite Gunpowder in the first race.

SOA of NY field representative Jimmy Marohn, Sr., who is responsible for communicating with the judges on behalf of the horsepeople, noted everyone was in agreement about cancelling as the track condition was deemed unraceable.

Live racing is scheduled to resume Saturday night (Dec. 19) with a 7:12 p.m. first post.