Yonkers Raceway celebrates milestone 125th anniversary

YONKERS, NY – Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts (“Empire City”) celebrates a major milestone this year as the historic Yonkers Raceway marks its 125th anniversary. Founded in 1899 as William H. Clark’s Empire City Trotting Club, the half mile standardbred harness racing dirt track was originally called “Empire City Race Track.” Since then, the now world-renowned venue has provided many notable moments throughout its 125-year history. Today, Yonkers Raceway is among the most popular harness racing tracks in the world and holds more races per year than any other track known.

Over one million horses have graced the track at Yonkers Raceway throughout its long and storied history. Though originally built for harness racing, thoroughbred racing was brought to the track in 1907 and continued until 1943. The legendary champion thoroughbred racehorse and 1938 American Horse of the Year, Seabiscuit, won a purse of $7,300 at the Scarsdale Handicap, setting a new record at the 1936 Yonkers Raceway event. It has been said that Seabiscuit won more stake races at Yonkers Raceway than at any other racetrack.

Celebrities are no strangers to Yonkers Raceway, however. Throughout the years, the track has welcomed famous musicians, politicians and athletes including Frank Sinatra, Ed Sullivan, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle and Jack Dempsey, along withseveral former U.S. Presidentssuch as Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.

More recently, in 2021, former UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira took the reins and took home the win against Harness Hall of Fame Driver Tim Tetrick in an exhibition race. In December 2023, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, an avid harness racing team owner, trainer and fan, made a surprise visit to Yonkers Raceway to check out the action.

Another monumental moment occurred over five years ago in the form of an investment in the future of the track. MGM Resorts acquired Empire City and Yonkers Raceway in 2019 and has since continued to support the historic venue byinvesting more than $1 million to enhance the entire racing experience. Throughout the exciting 240 days of racing each year, which is more than any other track in the country, guests and harness drivers have enjoyed track upgrades that include a resurfaced and regraded track that raised the turns as much as a foot, improvements to the track lighting to include an LED system, a resurfaced paddock, and a new state-of-the-art tote board with video capabilities. These upgrades are the first of their kind in over 15 years, showcasing that MGM Resorts is “all in” on Empire City and Yonkers Raceway.

“MGM Resorts is proud to celebrate this historic milestone as the stewards of the legendary Yonkers Raceway. We have continued making significant investments in our facility over the last several years and promoting the sport of harness racing through showcasing cornerstone events such as the New York Sire Stakes Finals and the MGM Yonkers International Trot,” said Ed Domingo, president and COO of Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts.

These investments in one of New York’s iconic sports venues also underscore the importance of the horse racing industry in the Empire State, which contributes more than $3 billion to the state economy. This economic driver also supported more than 20,000 jobs in 2023, according to a recent study by the American Horse Council.

In an annual celebration of the importance of the Yonkers Raceway to the region, members of the New York State Assembly and State Senate recently turned out for the Legislative Pace event to experience harness racing firsthand in what is typically dubbed the ‘hottest political race of the year.’

Live racing continues into December at Yonkers Raceway Monday through Friday evenings with a first-race post time of 7:00 p.m. Over 80 equine athletes compete nightly, and races are simulcast and available for viewing and wagering online at www.EmpireCityBets.com, where racing fans can create a free account and view live racing at Yonkers Raceway and tracks across the country.

For more information on Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts, Yonkers Raceway, and its historic milestone, please visit www.empirecitycasino.com.

From Yonkers Raceway