Officials at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, located in New Orleans, La., have declared a mandatory evacuation of its barn area in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to become a hurricane as it moves into the northern Gulf of Mexico.

The evacuation applies to about 700 horses currently stabled at Fair Grounds for its summer Quarter Horse meet, as well as all backside workers.

"Given the time and effort required to transport horses we could not afford to wait any longer," said Eric Halstrom, vice president and general manager for racing, "Our first priority is safety and this decision ensures that all humans and horses participating in our meet can get out of harm’s way."

All four days of live Quarter Horse racing scheduled for the week of Aug. 29- Sept. 1, Wednesday to Saturday, have been canceled. Officials expect that the season will be extended and the canceled races will be redrawn the following week