Wind will blow into Breeders’ Cup with a little rain

Lexington, Ky. 

The rain may hold off until late in the card Saturday, but the wind apparently will not for the climactic day of the Breeders’ Cup at Keeneland.

The National Weather Service put a wind advisory in place until 8 p.m. EDT. The Louisville office, which handles the Lexington area, said a south wind of 15-20 mph would gust as high as 40 mph. Horses racing on the backstretch would be running into the teeth of that.

There was a 60 percent chance of showers, mainly after 5 p.m. and before Sunday at 1 a.m., with a high near 75 degrees. Less than a tenth of an inch of precipitation was expected. For the early races Saturday, the courses have been graded fast and firm.

Races were carded to run through a final post time of 6:20 p.m. EDT. The Breeders’ Cup Classic was scheduled for 5:40 p.m.

The blustery weather was part of a storm system stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. Up to two inches of rain were forecast to fall on areas surrounding New Orleans. Parts of Kentucky west of Keeneland were expected to receive as much as a half-inch of precipitation.