Aqueduct was forced to cancel its eight-race card on Sunday due to unsafe racing conditions created by an event next door at Resorts World Casino.
The New York Racing Association, which runs the Queens racetrack, made the announcement in a news release and said that the “March Madness Auto and Bike Show” being held in the parking lot of the casino resort resulted in “unacceptable noise levels.”
“NYRA was not notified in advance that the event would create potentially unsafe racing conditions. Despite NYRA’s repeated attempts to rectify the situation, Resorts World Casino was unable to make the adjustments necessary to allow racing to proceed,” the statement read.
Because of the situation, NYRA opted to cancel the day’s live racing at Aqueduct, though they still held simulcasting of other races being held during the day.
NYRA senior vice president of racing and operations Andrew Offerman said in a statement that the event was being held in a parking lot that was “immediately adjacent to the top of the stretch.”
“We were then faced with wildly unpredictable sound levels and other concerns causing potentially unsafe circumstances for horses and riders,” Offerman said. “We were left with no choice but to cancel racing due to these concerns. NYRA will work with [NY Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association] and the [New York State Gaming Commission] to determine appropriate next steps and how we can make up these lost racing opportunities for our participants.”
An article published on RIX Magazine’s website showed where the event would be held on the casino grounds — in a lot right up against one of the turns on the track.
It also denotes several areas where music could not be played and one area marked as a “sound section” where music would be allowed.
Sunday marked the second time in roughly a six-month span when something occurring at Resorts World Casino impacted racing at Aqueduct.
In October, racing had to be canceled after a chemical product used on the casino’s roof caused an air quality issue that prevented race officials from staying on the top floors of the race track, eventually resulting in the cancellation of the day’s nine-race card.
