Santa Anita racing waits on the weather

The rain came, as expected, but what didn’t come was a clear-cut call on whether to cancel racing at Santa Anita today and Sunday.

That will come this morning.

“We’re going to seal the track, and if the rain lets up in the morning, we expect to be racing,” Ron Charles, Santa Anita president, said Friday.

The rainstorm, expected to be intense through the weekend, and an ongoing drainage problem with the new synthetic track has left racing at the Arcadia facility up in the air.

There was racing Friday before a crowd of 3,393, but not without some harrowing moments -- literally.

On Thursday night, the synthetic Cushion Track was sealed, or packed down, by heavy equipment in anticipation of the rain. The idea behind sealing a track is to keep water from penetrating underneath the surface and making the track so sloppy that it would be unsafe for horses and riders.

On Friday morning, tractors pulling harrows were dispatched to loosen the surface so that it wouldn’t be too hard.

Charles then walked the track with several jockeys, who told him it was good to go.

If there is racing today, the featured race is the Grade II Pasqual Handicap for older horses at 1 1/16 miles. Molengao, who has been sidelined since finishing fourth to Lava Man in the Hollywood Gold Cup on June 30, heads the field.

If there is racing Sunday, the featured race is the Grade II San Gorgonio Handicap at 1 1/8 miles. It is scheduled for the turf course but might be moved to the main track because of weather conditions. Wait A While heads the field in the San Gorgonio. There was a possibility that Nashoba’s Key would run in this race, but trainer Carla Gaines decided against entering the filly because of the uncertainty of the track conditions.

In Friday’s eighth and final race, Flying On Home suffered a right rear ankle injury and was euthanized.

The State of New York Racing and Wagering Board informed HRTV, TVG and any comparable horse racing networks that they would not be allowed to televise racing from Aqueduct. HRTV began carrying Aqueduct racing for the first time on New Year’s Day.

“It’s obviously disappointing, and we’re hoping to rectify the situation,” said Amy Zimmerman, HRTV executive producer.

She said the notice, which was received after Aqueduct’s fourth race Friday, did not give a reason for pulling the plug.

Garrett Gomez is among the three finalists for the Eclipse Award for jockey of the year, the National Thoroughbred Racing Assn. announced. Joe Talamo is a finalist for apprentice jockey.

Curlin, almost a shoo-in for horse of the year, is a finalist in the 3-year-old male horse category, and Nashoba’s Key is a finalist among the female turf horses.

The 37th Eclipse Awards ceremony will be held Jan. 21 at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills.

larry.stewart@latimes.com