Good news bad news

Wednesday 30th of January's cancellation at Aqueduct was a disappointment to those that handicapped that card. As the cancellation loomed while the horses were in the paddock for the 4th race, the winds at JFK were measured at 35 knots gusting to 42 knots, the temp was 45F. These are borderline conditions for a cancellation, especially with the track in pristine fast condition, which is amazing after 6 hours of morning rain. The conditions improved/winds decreased after the cancellation, but being the Monday morning weather man is much easier gig than heavy wind gust jockey.

Someone from Santa Anita should go out to Aqueduct to find out how the masters at NYRA maintain a safe track in the difficult weather conditions of New York. These cancellations are a drain on track business but are acceptable if isolated. Aqueduct does a great job isolating the cancellations to only the most extreme of weather events.

Wednesdays cancellation was a disappointment as this was one of the most interesting mid-week cards NYRA had all 2008, with several classy starter handicaps and intriguing route races were on tap. Npot the usual fare of maiden claimer sprints and New York bred allowances. As good as the card was it was canceled in the name of safety, so any rational person can not argue with the decision. Todays conditions will be much better with clear blue skies, winds out of the northwest to 10 knots and highs near 40F.

Good news is that Multiple Choice the hard knocking ten year old sprinter has been retired by trainer Joe Imperio. Always good news when one of the old warhorses gets to go home and live his life out with dignity. Imperio deserves some racing luck after doing the right thing. Here are Multiple Choices lifetime PP's.

No news on the white Elephant in the room, as the state continues to take no action on the Franchise and slot contracts. NYRA shutting down Aqueduct on the 14th of February is a very real possibility. It may be a shrewd move to transfer your bankroll out of your NYRA rewards account on the 12th of February to avoid having it tied up by a shutdown of operations.