Belmont races, MLB game wiped out by wildfire smoke concerns / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
Belmont races, MLB game wiped out by wildfire smoke concerns
Smoke from Canadian wildfires triggered a fresh wave of disruption across American sports on Thursday, forcing more postponements and raising questions about this weekend's scheduled horse racing showpiece, the 155th Belmont Stakes.
Air quality alerts were raised along the US East Coast as New York's Belmont Park called off Thursday's races and the Washington Nationals postponed their Major League Baseball game Thursday against visiting Arizona to June 22 due to "poor air quality."
The New York Racing Association (NYRA) shelved racing at Belmont Park after morning workouts were canceled, including those for the nine horses set to race in Sunday's 1 1/2-mile, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes.
"Safety is paramount as we navigate this unprecedented situation," said NYRA president David O'Rourke. "NYRA will actively monitor all available data and weather information as we work toward the resumption of training and racing.
"Based on current forecast models and consultation with our external weather services, we remain optimistic that we will see an improvement in air quality on Friday."
Live racing was set to resume on Friday and two races from Thursday's lineup were moved to Sunday with no change to Saturday's schedule, including the Belmont Stakes, the last jewel in US flat racing's Triple Crown.
But if the thick, orange haze remains around New York, organizers will have to consider safety not only for spectators but for the horses who would have to run in the reduced air quality.
Horse safety has been under scrutiny during this year's Triple Crown run after the Kentucky Derby was clouded by a spate of deaths at Churchill Downs that included two on Derby day and eight within three weeks.
At last month's Preakness in Baltimore, Havnameltdown suffered a catastrophic front left leg injury during the sixth race of the day and had to be euthanized on the track at Pimlico Race Course.
- NFL practices go inside -
NFL teams were also forced to alter their off-season training workouts due to the air quality concerns, with New York Giants coach Brian Daboll calling off a session in an indoor facility, saying conducting the workout with the air quality inside wasn't worth the risk.
The New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders have all moved Thursday practices inside due to poor outdoor air quality.
The moves are the latest changes made due to the thick smog caused by wildfires in Canada that shrouded multiple northeastern US cities this week.
On Wednesday, fixtures in Major League Baseball, the Women's NBA and National Women's Soccer League were all disrupted.
In New York, MLB said Yankee Stadium was "in an orange haze" due to "smoky conditions" in announcing the Chicago White Sox game against the New York Yankees was postponed.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality alert. The air quality index (AQI) at Yankee Stadium was 335, which is considered hazardous.
On Tuesday, the White Sox defeated the Yankees 3-2 in a game played in smoky conditions.
MLB also postponed the game at Philadelphia involving the host Phillies and Detroit Tigers due to air quality.
The NWSL's NJ/NY Gotham FC home match against the Orlando Pride in Harrison, New Jersey, was postponed until August 9 due to the New York metro area air quality concerns.
"The safety of our players, officials and fans is our top priority," the NWSL said in a statement. "Following consultation with the NWSL medical and operations staff, it was determined that the match could not be safely conducted based on the projected air quality index."
Even indoor events were delayed, with the WNBA New York Liberty's home game in Brooklyn against the Minnesota Lynx postponed due to air quality issues.
(L.Chastain--LPdF)
