Yonkers Raceway celebrates 125th season

(Yonkers, NY) – A milestone harness racing season begins at the historic Yonkers Raceway on Monday, January 22 as Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, one of the premier gaming and hospitality destinations in the country, announced the racing schedule for the upcoming 2024 season at the 125-year-old half-mile harness track.

Since opening in 1899 as Empire City Racetrack, the legendary track has been home to many memorable moments.  Celebrities, notable politicians and athletes such as Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Mickey Mantle, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan frequented Yonkers Raceway. The legendary champion thoroughbred racehorse Seabiscuit won a purse of $7,300 at the Scarsdale Handicap at the track in the 1930s when the track was briefly a thoroughbred track.

In 2021, UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira competed against Harness Hall of Famer Driver Tim Tetrick in an exhibition race and took home the win. In December 2024, two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, an avid harness racing fan, made a surprise visit to the historic track, further demonstrating Yonkers Raceway as the leading destination for harness fans worldwide.

The exciting 2024 racing schedule includes 240 days of racing – more than any other track in the country. Over 80 equine athletes compete nightly, five days per week, running from Monday, January 22, 2024 through Wednesday, December 21, 2024. Season highlights include the first five legs of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series beginning on Friday, March 15, 2024,  MGM Borgata Pacing Series beginning Monday, March 18, 2024, the $300,000 MGM Yonkers Trot and MGM Grand Messenger on Friday, June 21, 2024 with eliminations on Friday, June 28, 2024 and of course, the world famous MGM Yonkers International Trot scheduled for Saturday, September 7, 2024 with eight New York Sire Stakes finals also taking place that same day. MGM Yonkers Raceway will payout over $50 million in purses in 2024, more than any racetrack in the world.

“For 125 years, generations of horse racing fans have visited Yonkers Raceway to enjoy a world-class sports product,” said Ed Domingo, President & COO of Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts. “As we continue to invest in Yonkers Raceway, we look forward to an exciting and historic 2024 season to celebrate not just the track’s 125th anniversary but the incredible five years since MGM Resorts became the steward of this iconic sports venue.”

MGM Resorts has invested over a million dollars in track renovations to enhance the overall racing experience. Renovations include resurfacing the track with more than six-thousand tons of recycled track material, the installation of all new-LED lighting, raising the turns by as much as a foot and a new multiple display LED infield tote board. The upgraded infield tote board’s multiple display allows racing fans at Yonkers Raceway to see broadcasts of the live action on the infield board.  The most recent upgrade came over the holiday break with a near quarter million investment to upgrade the horse paddock.

MGM Resorts has also invested in its racing team members and management. At the helm of the track’s leadership are four industry veterans, including Racing Director Alex Dadoyan, Race Secretary Jonathan “Joe” Frasure Jr. and Assistant Race Secretary Rich Mattei. The trio bring many years of combined harness racing leadership experience to Yonkers Raceway. Yonkers Raceway also has a new Track Superintendent, Ed Angell, who joined in Spring 2023.

Empire Terrace, the trackside restaurant, will be available on select race days throughout the season where harness racing fans and families around the region can enjoy a night at the races.

For more information about Yonkers Raceway, the MGM Yonkers International Trot and MGM Resorts, please visit www.empirecitycasino.com.

From Yonkers Raceway