Yonkers Raceway - Yonkers, NY - Horse Racing Tracks on Waymarking.com

Track opened as Empire City Trotting Club. It was build at a cost of $780,000 by copper magnate William H. Clark and grocery tycoon James Butler; the actual construction was done by Seth Griffin. Opening day, September 4, drew 12,000 patrons. Drivers' colors were first introduced at Empire City, and the three fastest pacers in the country at that time, Joe Patchen, Star Pointer, and John R. Gentry, met in a showdown in only the third day of operation. The grandstand, built of steel, held 7,500. Clark passed away following the 1899 season.

In 1996, Yonkers Raceway "stretched the stretch", elongating the homestretch by 50 percent from 440 feet to its present 660 feet. That change, along with the implementation of added-distance racing (1 1/16 miles), allowed those horses with outside post position more opportunity to leave the gate and more "closers" to have a chance to get into the action...and the winner's circle.

The Raceway underwent a dramatic facelift in late 1997 with the demolition of the aging grandstand.

Yonkers continued to make news on the track in 1997, as Western Dreamer won the Raceway's final Cane Pace en route to capturing the sport's first Pacing Triple Crown since Ralph Hanover some 14 years earlier.

Following the 1997 Cane, the race relocated to Freehold Raceway, where it is still contested.

The 1998 season saw driver Walter Case Jr. rewrite the records books. Case won 978 races at Yonkers, smashing the record for the most wins by one driver at one track in a single year. Case's 1,076 total wins also set a single-season standard.

Yonkers Raceway threw itself a party in 1999, celebrating the track's centennial. Many of the sport's luminaries stopped by to be part of the festivities, and the Raceway ran a week-long series of promotions leading up to the '99 Yonkers Trot (won by CR Renegade). The Raceway entered the new millennium as it left the old one, as one of the premier venues for harness racing in North America.

September 11, 2001. What began as a normal Tuesday changed very quickly, and very tragically. For those of us at Yonkers Raceway, the reactions -- grief, horror, shock, anger, disbelief -- echoed those from all around the world. The Raceway remained dark for a week (five programs) following the tragedy before getting back to business in a radically changed world. As they did then, our hearts and prayers reach out to those affected by the hideous series of events.

On the track, Yonkers raceway played host to yet another New York-bred Harness Horse of the Year. The 3-year-old pacing filly sensation Bunny Lake made Yonkers Raceway her own personal playground, winning all four of her local starts (9-for-9 at Yonkers through ages 2 and 3). Bunny Lake joined other Empire State standouts -- 2000 Harness Horse of the Year Gallo Blue Chip along with '95 and '96 Horse of the Year Moni Maker -- as those who excelled at Yonkers.

The multi-million-dollar New York Sires Stakes program is annually among the richest in the country. Each year, the NYSS culminates with the New York Night of Champions, showcasing the "best of the best" among the 2- and 3-year olds of both sexes and gaits in the richest night of racing in the state. The Night of Champions, begun at Yonkers in 1991 and hosted there ever since, offers a total $1.2 million purse.

Types of Races: Harness Racing Racing Season: From: 01/01/2008 To: 12/31/2008 Year Opened: 03/12/1899 Famous Races: The Art Rooney Annual Pace, The Blue Chip Farms Race Additional Information: There are over 5,300 video slot terminals on the site. Not only can you bet on the horses running 5 nights a week but you can also bet on other nation races across the country 7 nights per week. Yonkers Raceway was originally established in 1899. In the 1970s the Rooney Family (the same famous Pittsburg Steelers Rooneys) bought the track. In 2006 it opened up as Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway and is the site you see today. There is plenty of free self parking as well as valet parking for a small fee. Racecourse Web Site: [Web Link]

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