The historic cold snap has riders hoping for the best
Ted Black- February 1, 2026
Amid a historic polar vortex that canceled live racing in Charles Town for all four nights last week and could last for another two weeks, local trainers are trying to make the best of it.
Trainers Ronney Brown, Javier Contreras and Stacey Viands are accustomed to the cold conditions that occur each winter in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, but those atmospheric changes are typically modest and short-lived. This year, these three conditioners, as well as their counterparts in neighboring barns and the men and women they entrust to ride, are forced to brave the elements for an extended period of time.
This article contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
“I was listening to one of the forecasters the other day and he said this cold could last until February 15,” said Viands, locally praised for his work with West Virginia Breeders’ Classics winners Parisian Diva and Time To Rock. “I don’t remember seeing anything like this before. But I think the horses are adapting to it quite well. All my horses have their winter coats and they have a blanket. The most important thing is to keep all the stable doors tightly closed and provide some extra straw for their bedding.”
Similarly, Brown, who with his wife Nicole won the title of owner for the second year in a row at Charles Town in 2025, suggests that horses’ natural insulation does most of the work, although some extra warmth is never a bad idea.
“The horses actually do better in the cold than a lot of people,” Brown said. “The most important thing is making sure they get to the track every day, and the track is great. The horses go out every day from 9am to noon, which is a little later than normal. But it gives everyone time to let the water buckets thaw and make sure the horses are fed. I all have a winter coat and they have their normal blankets. They don’t really need anything more than that. But it’s tough not being able to race. On Saturday morning it was minus four degrees on my farm.” I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Contreras, who burst onto the scene with talented runners Hidden Canyon and Amherst Street and later with multiple-winning filly Late Night Pow Wow, agreed with his fellow conditioners that the horses have gradually adapted to the frigid conditions. Although Saturday afternoon’s rescheduled card was canceled when the jockeys refused to ride, Contreras could hardly blame the riders for opting out.
“Listen, it’s just too cold for anyone to be outside for any length of time,” Contreras said. “I’m usually at the gate with a winter coat, hat and gloves and it’s still too cold. The jockeys don’t have any extra protection from the elements. I can’t blame them for not riding. The horses are fine. They have their winter coats on and they all have a blanket. Maybe some extra straw in their beds is needed to make sure they sleep comfortably. But none of them are really shivering. They probably do better in the winter when it’s very cold than in the summer when it is extremely cold.”
Charles Town will resume live racing this Wednesday and Thursday with nine race cards each evening. While forecast highs are expected to be near or slightly above freezing, overnight lows could be a lot lower, and that could be a problem.
“During the day it’s fine if it’s sunny,” Brown said. “I mean, it’s still very cold. But at night when the temperature drops into the teens, I don’t think the jockeys will be willing to ride. They don’t have too much pocket money for extra clothes, maybe three pounds. I don’t know if we can race this week or even next week. This cold weather could last for another two weeks. There’s really nothing you can do about it.”
LATEST NEWS
#historic #cold #snap #riders #hoping #Racing #Biz