Hawthorne Race Course canceled it's last five races Thursday (races 4 through 8) because of safety concerns arising from a thawing racing surface. After some unseasonably cold days and nights the last several days the temperature rose to about 40 degrees during the afternoon Thursday. 

"Rising temperatures started melting the underlying ice on the racetrack, causing uneven footing for the horses," Hawthorne said in a press release. 

All affected carryover pools will shift to Friday's program. The Thursday night low is forecast to be about 30 degrees at the track with a high Friday around 38.