(WBEN) - While the 155th running of the Belmont Stakes is scheduled to take place this weekend in Elmont, New York, those plans could be canned if the air quality levels in the Northeast do not improve come Saturday's race.
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Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday enhanced measures to protect horses at New York State racetracks, as smoke and haze from ongoing Canadian wildfires continue to impact air quality throughout the state.
"As New Yorkers continue to experience unhealthy air quality as a result of Canadian wildfires, we must all work to ensure that animals - including these peak-performance equine athletes - are protected," said Gov. Hochul on Thursday. "The measures being implemented at tracks across New York State are effective steps to keep all those who participate in the sport safe now and into the future."
Gov. Hochul encouraged New Yorkers on Wednesday to postpone any outdoor activities in impacted regions until conditions improve.
Accordingly, the New York State Gaming Commission directed all tracks to stop all racing, training and workouts until further notice. The Gaming Commission continues to monitor air quality and rely on guidance from veterinary expertise to ensure any decision to resume racing is based solely in the best interest of the horse population.
The Gaming Commission has established measures tied to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's air quality index (AQI). The AQI includes a range of index values. The higher the AQI value, the greater the health concern:
- If the AQI exceeds 200 at a specific facility, no racing or training may be conducted at that track.
- If the AQI is between 150 and 200 at a specific facility, only those horses that pass an additional pre-race respiratory veterinary examination will be permitted to race.
Gaming Commission Equine Medical Director Scott E. Palmer, VMD, ABVP, is directing all Thoroughbred and Standardbred racetracks in the State to implement additional protocols based upon the track's AQI, which considers the amount of particle pollution, ground-level ozone, and toxic gases (carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide) in the air. The AQI varies from location to location and changes throughout the day.
As with humans, particulates in the atmosphere can build up in horse respiratory systems causing serious health problems, including eye and respiratory tract irritation. Poor air quality can irritate pre-existing conditions, including recurrent airway obstruction (heaves), as well as exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH). High concentrations of smoke and particulates can cause persistent cough, nasal discharge, wheezing, an increased effort to breathe and altering of the immune system.
Saturday's main event is slated to go off right around 7 p.m. ET.