Global climate change has much further-reaching effects than one might think. Yes, the ice caps are melting, the oceans are rising, and summers are getting hotter and hotter than ever before, with heat waves now a commonality, but the effects of this are not only felt on a personal level; sometimes they can be quite large. And in the case of the Ohio Derby in Thistledown, this was exactly what happened.

Due to the high temperatures in Thistledown, a race that was scheduled for today and a part of the Ohio Derby was cancelled. The announcement was posted to FanDuel Racing, a wager platform that also showcases live horse racing, in a now-deleted tweet with the caption “Breaking news: Thistledown has cancelled the rest of the card due to heat.” The announcement was accompanied by a video of the Dubbs Anderson and Caleb Keller discussing the issue.

“And they got one race in,” Caleb Keller commented, adding, “But we well know that it’s going to be warm this time of year, summer in the midwest, but it’s actually been extra hot over the month of July. I think we saw this recently at Thistle, where they got to the track, they ran one race and then the heat index was too high to allow them to rest.” He then tried to bring in the positives, ending with, “but hopefully the men and women get to cool off in the air conditioning and get a little rest today.” That’s a way to put a silver lining on it, but what about the losses? Can Thistledown survive this?

Background into why the Ohio, Thistledown race was cancelled… more than meets the eye?

June was looking good in Thistledown, with Mo Plex just having won a $500,000 Grade 3 race here on the 1 1/8th course; however, come July and a number of problems rained (pun intended) down on the course, and it wasn’t just the heat.

In the very first race on Monday’s card, a horse named Tayyara tragically broke down shortly after the start, forcing an on-track veterinary intervention. Following the incident, the stewards—acting on a formal request from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA)—cancelled the rest of the day’s races to prioritize safety for both horses and riders.

The Monday cancellation wasn’t just about the surface—it was triggered directly by HISA following the breakdown, underscoring the heightened urgency around safety protocols.

About a week ago, four scheduled eight-race cards from Monday through Thursday were cancelled due to various concerned parties being unsure about the surface. It got so bad that the track superintendent, Sean Wright, was fired! It was no surprise that it was his first season managing the track that had jockeys and trainers alike worried for their horses. On the Tuesday that followed the first cancelled race, the Ohio Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association did a few rounds of rock cleanup, with about 50 men walking the length of the race and picking up rocks. When it was done, Dav Basler, executive director of the HBPA said, “We feel good that we took care of the rock concern and are going in the right direction.” However, soon after, another circumstance changed the fate of thistledown: the heat.

With the current high in Ohio being 87 degrees Fahrenheit and, in addition, the National Weather Service having issued a heat advisory, the racing at Thistledown was called off for the safety of the horses and riders alike. Sure, as Caleb Keller noted, the crowds may still gather, donning their best sun hats, but all they’ll really be able to do is sit under the air conditioners inside!