Recently, an unfortunate incident led to the cancellation of the fifth race at Saratoga Race Course. This Thoroughbred horse racing track is situated on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs. Established in 1983, this iconic equestrian race course faced an unexpected setback due to an incident involving a fallen tree on Union Avenue, resulting in a power outage in the surrounding areas. On a Wednesday afternoon, Saratoga Race Course experienced a power cut. Although the fifth race was initially delayed, considering the circumstances, it ultimately had to be cancelled.
The power cut also affected other nearby areas. It was assumed by a national grid restoration that the power would not be back on till 5;15 pm. However, it got back an hour before. The entire event had to face difficulties because of this one inconvenience, all the planning got delayed and Race 5 got impacted the most.
The equestrian event at Saratoga faces cancellation of the fifth race
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
On August 9, 2023, Saratoga Race Course experienced a power outage due to a fallen tree on the street where the race course is situated. The power went out at 3:19 pm, merely seven minutes before the scheduled start of the fifth race. The entire stadium was plunged into darkness, affecting staff members, audience, and participants alike. For nearly an hour, everyone remained in the dark until power was partially restored.
After the power cut, firstly the fifth race was delayed but was canceled at the end. Because it was not known when the power would be back and the horses were already on the track with weight on their back for a very long time, the organizer kept his word. Pat McKenna, NYRA vice president of communications stated, “In the best interests of the horses to cancel the race rather than delay.” At 4:01 pm, the power started coming back partially. Multiple systems like cameras, televisions, and others started to switch on one by one. Things were starting to gear up for the upcoming races.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Impact on the upcoming races of the power cut at an equestrian venue
After the power started to come back, the event resumed with the sixth race at 4:31 pm which was earlier scheduled at 4:00 pm. According to DRF News, the fifth race was meant to be the first leg of the pick-six, a bet that was returned. The canceled race was announced to be an all-win. The president and CEO of NYRA (New York Racing Association) Dave O’Rourke came forward and spoke about the entire mishap in an interview with Andy Serling.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
On 9th August itself, O’Rourke apologized to the entire equestrian community for the uncontrollable scenario. He expressed “I can apologize and I am apologizing to the betting community.” Adding further he said, “We will work on protocols to streamline this. the initial decision to come off the turf was the right decision.” O’Rourke also stated that he will try to do his best in the upcoming events.
Watch this story: With Over $21,000,000 Wagered on a Single Race Day Prestigious Equestrian Shatters Record Set in 2018
