Too snowy Friday at Turfway; too warm to go in Switzerland

Too wintry to race at one track Friday. Not wintry enough at another.

In the middle of a storm that dumped 2.3 inches of snow on the Cincinnati area, Turfway Park made it through 5 of 9 races before calling it a night Friday.

“The remaining five (actually four) races on our card have been canceled due to the inclement weather,” the track said in a post to X nine minutes after the running of the fifth race.

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If only that snow and ongoing cold snap could have been sent over to Switzerland. Only hours before the Turfway storm, organizers of the annual White Turf Races on frozen Lake St. Moritz announced Sunday’s card was canceled, because it was too warm.

“During today’s track inspection with a drone flight, the organizers discovered various cracks and damp patches that have not frozen overnight,” a news release said Friday. “Against all hope, it is therefore not possible to guarantee a track ready for racing on Sunday. As a result, the safety of horses, riders and drivers cannot be guaranteed, and all races (Sunday) have to be canceled.”

Forecasters said the temperature would rise to 42 degrees, when the third consecutive Sunday of races on the ice would have included the featured 1 1/4-mile, $113,541 Grosser Preis von St. Moritz.

Back at Florence, Ky., the sky cleared Saturday, when racing was scheduled to go forward starting at 5:55 p.m. EST. The National Weather Service forecast a low temperature of 18 degrees at Turfway, where the $125,000 Dust Commander Stakes is scheduled to start at 8:55 p.m. EST.