Because of the cancellation of a number of equestrian events along the East Coast last week in the wake of Hurricane Isabel, Foxfield race officials now expect record numbers of participants at its annual fall races this Sunday.
While last fall only 60 horses competed in the races, this year organizers expect more than 100 horses to compete in a diverse assortment of races.
The hurricane actually should improve race conditions as the recent heavy rains have softened the track, which is the best condition for horse racing.
Even though the fall Foxfield races typically attract a significantly smaller crowd than the spring races, Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control agents still will patrol the race grounds in an effort to ensure Foxfield's compliance with an ABC order issued last spring to crack down on underage drinking.
Last spring, Foxfield paid an $8,000 fine and only was allowed to keep its state liquor license as long as it agreed to adhere to recently imposed stricter security requirements.
Approximately 15 Albemarle police officers will provide traffic control at the race entrances Sunday.