Penn National Race Course canceled Wednesday night’s live racing despite a determined effort by the track’s maintenance crew, which had been working since the weekend to get the track back in condition.

As temperatures began to creep upward on Sunday, the track crew started a two-day process of removing a thick layer of ice from the racing surface. They worked on the surface throughout Tuesday night but, even with the aid of even warmer temperatures on Wednesday, it was decided that the surface was not ready for live racing.

A two-week run of extreme cold, sub-zero wind chills, and snow and ice storms has closed live racing since February 1, a period of eight consecutive programs.

Normal training hours will resume Thursday morning and live racing is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EST.