HENDERSON, Ky. — Ellis Park in Henderson is moving post time for the first races on Friday, Saturday and Sunday to 10:30 A.M. CT because of the forecast for extreme heat. 

Ellis Park officials made the announcement on Wednesday as the track prepares for a full weekend of races. The post time for the first races was originally scheduled for 12:30 A.M. CT. “Obviously the safety of our racehorses and backstretch personnel is paramount,” said Ellis Park General Manager Jeff Inman. “By starting more than two hours early, we will avoid the full brunt of the heat.”

The announcement comes amid a scorching heat wave across the country. Texas and California residents are seeing highs over 100 degrees. The temperatures in the central and northeast U.S. are about 10 degrees above the average for this time of year.

The weekend forecast for Henderson calls for highs up to 98 degrees. When the announcement came on Wednesday, a heat advisory was already in effect for the area, with a high of 96 degrees and a heat index of 105 degrees.

Already this year, horse parks have had to make adjustments for the heat. In June, Churchill Downs cancelled its racing program two days in a row, citing the excessive heat. It was only the 23rd time in the track’s 150-year history that races were cancelled.

“Horses racing at Ellis Park over the decades have demonstrated remarkable resilience to heat, but we will be doing everything we can to ensure they can race safely,” Inman said. “In addition to the much earlier start, that includes having multiple water stations and hoses at regular intervals around the track.”

“We wanted to go on and make the announcement to give our horsemen plenty of time to rework shipping plans where necessary.”

Located just south of Evansville, Ind., Ellis Park is planning “Heroes Weekend” this weekend to honor veterans and first-responders. Training for the horses will be 5 A.M. to 8 A.M. each day.