The $1 million King’s Plate, the first race of the Canadian Triple Crown, was canceled on Saturday due to heavy rain.
Woodbine Cancelled the King’s Plate. US Racing photo.
The King’s Plate, along with four other stakes, was rescheduled for Friday, Aug. 23. The card was canceled after the fifth race.
The new date comes a day before the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
“There was just so much rain that came down in such a short amount of time. It was pooling the track,” Woodbine CEO Michael Copeland said. “There was some safety concerns. Whenever there are safety concerns … the decision is always made with safety as a priority. So, we consulted with our vets, with our jockeys, and we made the determination that was unsafe to continue racing.”
Officials said there would not be a re-draw for the re-scheduled races.
According to drf.com, a torrential rainstorm blew through the area after the first race at 12:25 p.m. ET. Shortly after, all the turf races on the card were moved to the Tapeta, which continued to take considerable rain throughout the afternoon, causing drainage problems and flooding in the tunnels to the track.