​The Belmont Park grandstand building is pictured during the track’s reopening on Friday, Sept. 18. (Skip Dickstein/For the Times Union)
Racing at Belmont Park on Saturday and Sunday has been canceled due to the forecast of a powerful nor’easter expected to bring heavy rain and wind to Long Island throughout the weekend, the New York Racing Association announced Friday.The move was made with the National Weather Service placing Long Island under a wind advisory for both Saturday and Sunday. Current forecasts call for sustained high winds with gusts exceeding 50 mph.NYRA also announced Friday that it received approval from the state Gaming Commission to conduct live racing on the next two Wednesdays, Sept. 30 and Oct. 7. The association previously announced it received approval to conduct racing on Oct. 14, 21 and 28 as make-up dates for card cancellations from earlier in the year.The addition of the make-up dates means that Belmont Park, which officially reopened Sept. 18 following a three-year, $555 million renovation, will operate on a Wednesday through Sunday racing calendar throughout October.The most recent NYRA card to be canceled was July 29 at Saratoga Race Course, when that Wednesday program was called off due to torrential rainfall impacting Saratoga Springs and the rest of the Capital Region.Tickets and pre-paid parking for Saturday and Sunday purchased directly through NYRA sales, Ticketmaster or FEVO are eligible for a refund or ticket credit, while tickets purchased through third-party vendors are not eligible for refunds from NYRA.There were six stakes races scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at Belmont, all of which will be brought back for this coming Thursday’s card. Those races are the Grade 1, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic; the Grade 2, $500,000 Flower Bowl; the Grade 3, $250,000 Vosburgh; the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom; the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint; and the Grade 3, $200,000 Winter Memories.The added card for this coming Wednesday will offer overnight races that were originally scheduled for the Saturday and Sunday cards.SubscribeThere’s more to Albany with the Times Union. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Nor’easter concerns lead NYRA to cancel weekend racing at Belmont Park.