Hurricane nixes four cards

Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., has canceled the four live racing cards scheduled for Thursday through this Sunday due to weather forecasts predicting that Hurricane Irma will hit south Florida, the track announced Wednesday.

Hurricane Irma, which on Wednesday was being called the strongest Atlantic Ocean storm ever recorded, with winds of 185 mph, was not expected to make landfall until Sunday, but the impact of the storm, including heavy rainfall and powerful winds, could be felt as early as Friday, according to weather services.

“Obviously, our first priority is the safety of our patrons and our equine athletes,” said P.J. Campo, general manager of Gulfstream, which is owned by The Stronach Group. “Horsemen are being given the option to keep their horses at Gulfstream, Gulfstream Park West, or move to our training facility at Palm Meadows in Palm Beach.”

Gulfstream Park West is the former Calder Race Course, which The Stronach Group is leasing from owner Churchill Downs Inc.

State officials have been urging Florida residents to begin preparations for the storm since earlier this week. The storm has been projected to run east to west along the major Caribbean islands before possibly heading north through Florida.

Gulfstream will stay open on Thursday and Friday for simulcast wagering, but track officials said they would “monitor the storm throughout the weekend” before making plans for Saturday and Sunday. Live racing will not resume until next Wednesday, which was already scheduled as a makeup date for a cancellation earlier this year.