Racing at Aqueduct was cancelled shortly after the fourth race yesterday because of the bitter cold, as temperatures plunged to 16 degrees with a wind-chill factor of zero.
“It’s difficult [to ride], that’s for sure,” jockey Richard Migliore said after winning the fourth race. “You can’t feel your hands at all.”
“It’s not that it’s dangerous,” said jockey Mike Luzzi. “It’s just impossible.”
The jocks met with New York Racing Association officials before the fourth race to discuss the situation, delaying its start by 10 minutes. One issue was the Pick 6 (races 4-9), which offered a two-day carryover of $97,959. The decision was made to take the card one race at a time.
“We wanted to give the bettors the benefit of the doubt,” jockey Chuck Lopez said, “if [NYRA] wanted to pull the plug on the Pick 6.”
Because at least four Pick 6 races must be run for the carryover to kick in, the $97,959 pool still stands for the next racing card, which might or might not be today. The forecast calls for continued freezing weather; NYRA officials will meet at 8:30 this morning to decide whether to run.
All or part of five racing days have been lost to the weather since Aqueduct’s inner track opened Dec. 1. In any case, the Big A will be open for simulcasting.
Lured by the carryover, $373,156 was bet on yesterday’s Pick 6, which essentially became a Pick 1 with a 20 percent takeout. The winner of the fourth, American Comedy, who paid $6.80 straight to win, returned $7 to the 42,374 Pick 6 plays that had him on the ticket.