Sportsman’s Park wants to get off the weather roller coaster that diminished Illinois’ opening week of thoroughbred racing.
The track lost 30 of the scheduled 45 races for opening week.
To make up for lost programs the track will apply to the Illinois Racing Board for April 11, 18 and 25 racing dates, according to Terry Hart, vice president of horse racing operations for the National Jockey Club.
“This racetrack has been subjected to the harshest, most extreme weather and temperature differential of the winter,” said NJC President Charles Bidwill III. “There is only so much magic our track crew can do.”
The first program of the new racing year March 1 went off without a hitch and featured a $2,047,603 handle, a high since the track was reconfigured to accommodate Chicago Motor Speedway. Then March came in like a lion.
A snowstorm March 2 forced the cancellation of that program’s last three races. The next three programs were lost to the combination of moisture in the track, temperatures crisscrossing 32 degrees and strip-thawing sunshine. Sportsman’s wild ride may not be over. Temperatures are predicted to drop sharply Saturday night.
Stakes start: The thoroughbred stakes season begins with the $100,000 six-furlong Lost Code Handicap on Saturday at Sportsman’s. Illinois-bred Magic Doe is the 3-1 program favorite. Defending Lost Code champion Tic N Tin and Cicero stakes winner Secret Romeo figure to mount strong challenges.
