A flight carrying a contingent of Breeders’ Cup horses from New York to California was rescheduled to 1 a.m. EDT Oct. 29 and took off as Hurricane Sandy approached the Northeast, Breeders’ Cup officials said.

The Tex Sutton plane left the airport in Islip, N.Y., carrying horses trained by Christophe Clement, Shug McGaughey, Bill Mott, and others, Breeders’ Cup chief operating officer Bob Elliston said. The plane stopped in Louisville, Ky., to pick up more horses and was scheduled to land at the airport in Ontario, Calif., well before noon.

The Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held Nov. 2-3 at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

Another plane carrying horses trained by Todd Pletcher is scheduled to leave New York Oct. 30, though it could be postponed to Oct. 31, Elliston said