It was the night that the lights went out in Lebanon. Due to “insufficient power from offsite,” the opening night race card at Miami Valley Raceway for Friday (Feb. 7) was postponed.
“We are not getting enough power to the property so we won’t be able to race tonight,” a track official told the capacity grandstand crowd over the intercom.
The 12-race card was set to begin at 6:30 p.m. At 6:30, after the National Anthem, but before the first post parade, it was announced that racing would be delayed due to an electrical issue. Track officials gave several positive updates over the intercom, stressing that the auxiliary generators needed to be started in order to restore power.
While the crowd waited for racing to begin, they were offered $10 food vouchers and the concession stands remained open. People spent the down time playing cards and watching races from other tracks.
Around 7:05 p.m., all overhead lighting went out in the grandstand, which could hold 1,000 people, according to the track’s senior director of marketing, Jeff Nelson. At 7:12 p.m., track officials announced that if the power was not restored by 8 p.m., racing would be postponed.
When the grandstand room went dark, all televisions in the simulcast room were dark as well. A walk into the VLT room revealed that more than 90 percent of the machines were off.
Racing was postponed around 7:52 p.m. Those who wagered on the night’s card were offered refunds.
The Friday card is rescheduled for Wednesday (Feb. 12). Saturday’s (Feb. 8) card is scheduled to be raced as planned, with first post at 6:30 p.m.
(USTA)