Monticello Raceway

Last updated
Monticello Raceway
Monticello-raceway.jpg
Monticello Raceway in October 2008
Location204 Route 17B
Monticello, New York
Coordinates 41°40′07″N74°42′52″W / 41.66872°N 74.714563°W / 41.66872; -74.714563
Owned by Empire Resorts
Date openedJune 27, 1958
Race type harness racing
Official website

Monticello Raceway is a harness racing track and former casino in Monticello, New York. It is owned and operated by Empire Resorts.

The racetrack is nicknamed "The Mighty M" and races standardbred horse races during the afternoons year-round. The current racetrack is a 1/2 mile oval. The track opened on June 27, 1958 in order to attract more people to Monticello's resort area.

There had been attempts since 2000 to add a full-fledged Indian gaming casino operated by the St. Regis Mohawk tribe at the raceway, but they were met with backlash. Several Atlantic City casino operators, including Donald Trump, fought the proposal. Trump was fined for not disclosing his lobbying efforts. In January 2008, Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior vetoed any Mohawk plans for a casino saying the Mohawk reservation on the Canada–United States border was too far from the track. The casino at the raceway operated under a state license permitting slot machines at designated race tracks. [1]

In 2006, the track was the site of the so-called "Monticello Miracle", in which a racehorse hit World War II veteran Don Karkos in the exact spot where he had received shrapnel and lost sight in one of his eyes during a World War II naval battle aboard USS Rapidan (AO-18). This blow caused him to regain his sight, most likely by dislodging the shrapnel. [2] [3]

Eventually, in February 2018, a full casino named Resorts World Catskills opened nearby, which was also owned by the same parent company as Monticello Raceway. In April 2019, the slots and racino part of Monticello Raceway were closed permanently, though, as of September 2023, racing continues year-round during the day from Mondays through Thursdays and on some Fridays when Monday is a holiday. [4] There is a small OTB facility in a portion of the old racino/grandstands and an even smaller outdoor betting trailer with 1 or 2 mutuel tellers.

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References

  1. ↑ Bagli, Charles V. (February 12, 2008). "Proposal for Catskill Resort Turns Old Rivals Into Partners, and Vice Versa". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-12.
  2. ↑ Rodriguez, Justin (December 13, 2006). "The Monticello miracle: Freak racetrack accident restores vision". Times Herald-Record. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  3. ↑ Aiello, Tony (December 13, 2006). "Man Nails Eye-fecta After 'Monticello Miracle' - Accidental Bump With Horse Restores Worker's Eyesight". WCBSTV. Archived from the original on October 10, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  4. ↑ "Schedule". Monticello Raceway. 2023-09-27. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
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