Batavia Downs will host its Back to the Track night Saturday (August 9) after having been forced to cancel live racing last week.

The original date of August 2 featured ‘Harness Racing Bingo’ along with drawings for Back to the Track t-shirts and driver bobbleheads. A great crowd turned out to enjoy an evening at the races and the trackside drawings were about to start when Mother Nature had other ideas.

Flood warnings were posted throughout upstate New York that day and America’s oldest lighted track was unable to avoid the fray. A heavy downpour ensued which included lightning and it basically washed the racetrack away making the surface impossible to race over. After a half hour delay, the decision was made to end the proceedings.

Batavia Downs was looking forward to participating in the USTA’s national promotion, but the decision to pull the plug was an easy one.

“We would never put our horsemen or equine athletes at risk in unsafe conditions,” said Todd Haight, the track’s director and GM of live racing. “It was the first time we had to cancel a program once it got underway since 2002. Hopefully it will be another 12 years until we have to do so again.”

Therefore, on Saturday customers that swipe their Players Club cards beginning at 5 p.m. at Players Club will receive a new Harness Racing Bingo card and be automatically entered into the drawings that take place after the third race. Patrons holding a bingo card from August 2 must pick up a new card (August 2 cards will not be eligible to win prizes).

Harness Racing Bingo prizes include $100 wagering vouchers to the first five customers that get full card bingo and $10 gaming free play vouchers to the first 25 that get single bingo.

If you have a racing form from last Saturday please bring it with you and exchange it for this week’s program free of charge. Just stop by the program stand to make the switch.

Also beginning at 5 p.m., Sahlen’s hot dogs and sodas will be just 50-cents as part of the track’s annual old fashion night celebration.

(Batavia)