Belmont Stakes: Track condition uncertain for Saturday

ELMONT, N.Y. - The heavy rain that pelted Belmont Park all day Friday was expected to be finished by early Saturday morning, but New York Racing Association officials were reluctant Friday afternoon to predict what the track condition would be for Saturday’s running of the 145th Belmont Stakes.

“Ask me [Saturday] morning,” Glen Kozak, vice president of racing surfaces and facilities for the New York Racing Association, said Friday afternoon

As of 2:30 p.m. Friday, nine-tenths of an inch of rain had fallen at Belmont and another 1 3/4 to 2 1/2 inches were possible before ending around 3 to 4 a.m., Kozak said.

Kozak said the forecast for Saturday called for intermittent sun and clouds, and wind between 10 and 15 miles per hour.

Friday’s 10-race card was run over a sealed, sloppy racetrack and all six scheduled turf races were moved to the main track.

Kozak said no determination on Saturday’s turf races was to be made before Saturday morning. The rails on both the inner and Widener turf courses were taken down. The inside part of both turf courses has barely been used this spring.

There are five races scheduled for the turf on Saturday, including the Just a Game and the Manhattan - both Grade 1 races, each with a purse of $500,000.

Belmont’s main track was sealed following Thursday’s card and remained sealed through Friday’s 10-race program. In between races, tractors alternated going both directions around the track, filling in hoof prints and trying to maintain a uniform surface.

Kozak said the same floating, or plating, of the main track would be done at a slower rate following Friday’s card.

Kozak said a determination would be made Saturday morning whether to allow training. Training hours Saturday were scheduled for 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. without a renovation break.

First post for Saturday’s card is 11:35 a.m. and post time for the Belmont Stakes is 6:36 p.m.