Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino

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Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino
Empireyonkerslogo.jpg
View of New York from the Air (October 2023) 17.jpg
Yonkers Raceway (left) and Hillview Reservoir at night in 2023
Location Yonkers, New York, U.S.
Coordinates 40°55′05″N73°51′55″W / 40.918021°N 73.86529°W / 40.918021; -73.86529
Owned by Vici Properties
Operated by MGM Resorts International
Date opened1899;125 years ago (1899)
Race typeStandardbred Harness Racing
Course typeDirt
Notable races
Official website

Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino, founded in 1899 as the Empire City Race Track, is a one-half-mile standardbred harness racing dirt track and slots racino located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue in Yonkers, New York, near the New York City border. It is owned by Vici Properties and operated by MGM Resorts International.

Contents

History

The original horse racing facility was opened in 1899 as Empire City Race Track by William H. Clark's 'Empire City Trotting Club. Clark died in 1900 and, with much litigation by his heirs over its proposed sale, the track remained closed for most of the next seven years except for special events. One such event occurred in 1902 when Barney Oldfield set a one-mile (1.6 km) record in an automobile at Empire City Race Track. Driving the Ford '999', he covered the distance in 55.54 seconds. [1]

The facility was purchased by New York grocery store magnate James Butler, who reopened it for Thoroughbred horse racing in 1907. Among the notable thoroughbreds who raced at Empire City, in 1936 Seabiscuit won the Scarsdale Handicap. After Butler's death in 1934, the track continued to host "the flats" until 1942 when it was converted back to being a harness track. Some of its feature races were taken over by other New York area racetracks.

In 1950, William H. Cane, for whom the Cane Pace is named, headed a syndicate formed as the Algam Corporation which acquired Empire City and converted it to Yonkers Raceway. Its popularity having greatly declined since the 1960s (when crowds would occasionally reach 50,000), the entire property, according to some, had become an eyesore due to its owners leaving it in a state of disrepair.[ citation needed ]

In 1972, the Rooney family acquired Yonkers Raceway. [2] It underwent some cosmetic changes in the late 1990s. It was used as a flea market, and hosted the annual Westchester County Fair, sponsored by the county's Parks Department. In 1996, the finish line was relocated to the end of the stretch, increasing the length of the stretch from 440 feet (130 m) to the current 660 feet (200 m). The following year, the grandstand was demolished. There was consideration on selling the site to the National Football League’s New York Jets which would have included a stadium; however, the plan was shelved after the environmental impact statement showed there would be significant traffic from elsewhere in the metropolitan area, and there was not enough political support for it.

In 2015, Yonkers Raceway applied for permission from the New York State Gaming Commission to relocate its finish line back by approximately 100 feet. This proposal was endorsed by the New York division of the Standardbred Owners Association. [3] As of 2018, the new finish line has been in use for a considerable period of time. In January 2018, Yonkers eliminated the "passing lane" in the stretch that allowed horses to be in the second spot on the inside in the stretch to move inside one spot and come up in the inside.

In January 2019, MGM Resorts International bought the racetrack and casino from the Rooney family for $850 million in cash and stock. [4] [5] MGM then immediately sold the land and buildings to its affiliated REIT, MGM Growth Properties, for $625 million, leasing back the property and structures for $50 million per year. [5] Vici Properties acquired MGM Growth, including Empire City, in 2022. [6]


Historic Thoroughbred flat races

Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway

Empire City Casino with expansion EmpireCityCasinoExpansion.jpg
Empire City Casino with expansion

Yonkers Raceway had a $225-million renovation designed by EwingCole [7] to put in more than 7,500 slot machines. The first phase opened on October 11, 2006, with 1,870 machines. [8] Despite a "soft opening", with no major advertising or promotional campaigns, Yonkers netted $3.8 million in revenue in its first week, outpacing its nearest competitor, Saratoga Casino and Raceway, by two-thirds. [9] The second phase of the project, which opened on December 28, 2006, added 120,000 square feet (11,000 m2) of space to bring the total number of slot machines to 4,000. On March 12, 2007, the third phase opened to bring the slot machine total to 5,300. Because the facility falls under state lottery laws, the minimum age to play the slot machines at Empire City is 18, unlike the other area casinos, where it is 21.

In a report released in 2012, Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway was the state's "most successful casino and racing venue". [10] Through 2011, the facility provided more than 3,000 jobs and contributed $262 million in "economic output". [10]

In January 2013, Empire City Casino completed a new $50 million expansion designed by Studio V Architecture that added 66,000 square feet to the casino. [11] The expansion featured a porte-cochere sculptural entrance; the largest window in the Northeast, a 300-foot-long and 27-foot-high depiction of the New York City skyline made entirely of nails; a new gaming floor with nearly 700 slot machines; and two new restaurants. [11]

As of 2015, the casino hosts blackjack, craps, roulette, and baccarat tables in addition to the slot machines. The games are fully automated.

Restaurants

Dan Rooney's Cafe & Bar DanRooney'scafeandBar.jpg
Dan Rooney's Café & Bar
Empire Terrace: A restaurant the overlooks the racetrack, allowing gamblers to dine while watching live races. [16]

Feature stakes races

History

Racers on Yonkers Racetrack Harness Racing at Yonkers Raceway.jpg
Racers on Yonkers Racetrack

Yonkers used to be the site of the Cane Pace, one of the legs of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. It is now the host track for another leg, the Messenger Stakes. Yonkers is also home to the Yonkers Trot, one of the legs of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters. Due to the renovations at Yonkers, the Messenger and Yonkers Trot were moved to different racetracks for the 2004 and 2005 editions. The Messenger was moved to Harrington Raceway in Delaware in both years, and the Yonkers Trot was moved to Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, IL in 2004, and Freehold Raceway in New Jersey in 2005.

Yonkers Raceway ran the Yonkers Trot and the Messenger on November 25, 2006, becoming the first harness track in America to host two Triple Crown races on the same day. Glidemaster, by virtue of winning the $728,000 Yonkers Trot, became the eighth horse to clinch the Trotting Triple Crown; the trotter would go on to be named 2006 Harness Horse of the Year.

Yonkers Raceway is also home to the Art Rooney Pace for three-year-olds. However, continued delays in the reopening of the track forced the 2006 edition of the race to be moved to Monticello Raceway. [17] The final of the 2007 Art Rooney Pace, run on June 2, 2007, was the richest race in Yonkers history, with a $1 million purse. It was won by Southwind Lynx, driven by Tim Tetrick, with a late outside run in 1:52 3/5. The current track record for a trotting race horse is 1:54 3/5 set by Shutter Boy on October 30, 2009, with the trainer John McDermott and driver Yannick Gingras; this was not a stakes race.

Notable stakes races

Transportation

The Metro-North Railroad offers a “one-day-getaway” package that includes a $10 free play and $10 food voucher, as well as free shuttle service to Empire City Casino from the Mount Vernon West train station. [18]

Several Bee-Line bus routes make stops at Empire City Casino as well, including routes 7, 20, BxM4c, 430, 440, and 470. [19]

Cross Country

The track was the site of the 1941 USA Cross Country Championships. [20]

Related Research Articles

The Pacing Triple Crown is a series of three major harness races for three-year-old Standardbred pacers. It consists of the Cane Pace, the Messenger Stakes, and the Little Brown Jug. It was inaugurated in 1956, one year after the Trotting Triple Crown. A horse that wins all three races becomes a Triple Crown winner and is presented with the Pacing Triple Crown trophy.

The Hambletonian Stakes is a major American harness race for three-year-old trotting horses, named in honor of Hambletonian 10, a foundation sire of the Standardbred horse breed, also known as the "Father of the American Trotter." The first in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters, the Hambletonian is currently held at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on the first Saturday in August.

The Cane Pace is a harness horse race for standardbred pacers run annually since 1955. The race was first run as the William H. Cane Futurity in 1955 at Yonkers Raceway in New York. In 1956 the race joined with the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes to become the first leg in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.

The Messenger Stakes is an American harness racing event for 3-year-old pacing horses. It was organized in 1956 at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York to join with the Cane Pace and the Little Brown Jug to create the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. The race is named in honor of Messenger (1780–1808), a horse foaled in England and later brought to the United States. As a sire, virtually all harness horses in the U.S. can be traced back to Messenger.

The Yonkers Trot is a harness racing event for three-year-old Standardbred trotters raced at a distance of one mile at Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York. The race was created in 1955 to join the Hambletonian and the Kentucky Futurity to form the new United States Trotting Triple Crown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saratoga Race Course</span> Horse racing track in New York

Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actually the fourth oldest racetrack in the U.S.. In 1857 the Empire Race Course was opened on an island in the Hudson River near Albany, but was in operation only a short time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqueduct Racetrack</span> Horseracing venue in New York City

Aqueduct Racetrack is a Thoroughbred horse racing facility and casino in the South Ozone Park and Jamaica neighborhoods of Queens, New York City, United States. Aqueduct is the only racetrack located within New York City limits. Its racing meets are usually from late October/early November through April. The racetrack is located adjacent to a casino called Resorts World New York City.

Garden State Park was a harness and thoroughbred race track in Cherry Hill, Camden County, New Jersey. It is now the site of a high-end, mixed-use "town center" development of stores, restaurants, apartments, townhouses, and condominiums. Garden State Park's 600 acre land area is roughly bounded by Route 70, Haddonfield Road, Chapel Avenue, and New Jersey Transit's Atlantic City Rail Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freehold Raceway</span>

Freehold Raceway is a half-mile (0.80 km) racetrack in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and is the oldest racetrack in the United States. Horseraces have been taking place at Freehold Raceway since the 1830s. The Monmouth County Agricultural Society was formed on December 17, 1853, and in 1854 they began holding an annual fair with harness racing at Freehold Raceway

Saratoga Casino Hotel is an establishment in Saratoga Springs, New York. Saratoga Casino Hotel is home to a 1⁄2-mile standardbred race track, with a racino and hotel located inside the racetrack's grandstand. Saratoga Casino Hotel is not connected to the historic Saratoga Race Course thoroughbred race track located across the street on Nelson Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monticello Raceway</span>

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

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roosevelt Raceway</span> Racetrack located in the town of Westbury in Long Island, NY (1940-1988)

Roosevelt Raceway was a race track located just outside the village of Westbury on Long Island, New York. Initially created as a venue for motor racing, it was converted to a ½-mile harness racing facility. The harness racing facility operated from September 2, 1940 until July 15, 1988. It was the original home of the Messenger Stakes, part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers. The raceway hosted the event until it closed. It was also the first track to use the now universal "mobile starting gate". The operation was sold in 1984 on the condition it was to remain an operating racetrack, but the facilities deteriorated, attendance dropped off, and the plant was no longer profitable.

Batavia Downs is a harness racing track and casino in Batavia, New York. It is located in Genesee County between Buffalo and Rochester just off of the New York State Thruway. It opened on September 20, 1940, and is the oldest lighted harness racetrack in the United States. The track is exactly .5 miles (0.80 km) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Casino at The Meadows</span>

The Hollywood Casino at The Meadows, formerly The Meadows Racetrack and Casino, originally (1963) just The Meadows horse-racing track, is a Standardbred harness-racing track and slot-machine casino which is located in North Strabane Township, Pennsylvania, United States, about 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Pittsburgh. After 44 years as a racetrack, the casino was added in 2007. The real estate has been owned by Gaming and Leisure Properties since 2016, with the business operations owned by Penn Entertainment since 2018, including a long term lease agreement to Gaming and Leisure Properties.

The International Trot is a harness racing event held in the New York City area that aimed to appeal to a mix of United States and international entrants. The inaugural event was held at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, New York in 1959, and was held at the track until its closure in 1988. Thereafter, the race moved to Yonkers Raceway in Yonkers, New York. The initial running was held at a distance of 1.5 miles (2.4 km), with subsequent races held at a distance of 1.25 miles (2.01 km).

Harness racing in New Zealand is primarily a professional sport which involves pacing and trotting competitions for Standardbred racehorses. The difference is the horse's gait or running style:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosecroft Raceway</span> Harness racing track in Fort Washington, Maryland, US

Rosecroft Raceway, nicknamed the "Raceway by the Beltway" for being close to Interstate 495, is a harness racing track in Fort Washington, Maryland. It first opened in 1949 and was owned by William E. Miller, a horse trainer and breeder. Rosecroft quickly became Prince George's County's political and social center, drawing thousands of people there each racing day. In the early 1950s, average attendance was more than 7,000 per day. After Miller died in 1954, his son John owned Rosecroft until his death in 1969. Rosecroft hosted memorial stake races annually for both William and John until 1995. Following the death of John Miller, Earle Brown controlled operations until he moved to a different position in 1980; William E. Miller II took over following Brown.

Catello R. Manzi is an American harness racing driver and trainer. Manzi's nickname is 'Catman'.

The Art Rooney Pace is an American harness racing event for three-year-old standardbred pacers run each year at Yonkers Raceway with the exception of 2006 when it was hosted by Monticello Raceway. First run in 1989, it is named in honor of Art Rooney (1901-1988), owner of several racetracks, including Yonkers, plus the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Circuit</span> Group of harness racing stakes races

The Grand Circuit, also known as the "Big Wheel", is a group of harness racing stakes races run at various race tracks around the United States. Run on one-mile tracks, it is "the oldest continuing horse-racing series in the United States."

References

  1. ↑ "Barney Oldfield, the Racer". Rumbledrome. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved 16 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "About Us". Empire City Casino. Yonkers Racing Corporation. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
  3. ↑ "SOA of New York supports moving Yonkers finish line" (Press release). Yonkers, New York: United States Trotting Association. July 1, 2015. Archived from the original on April 16, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ Kinney, Jim (January 30, 2019). "MGM finalizes $850 million deal for Empire City Casino in Yonkers, New York". The Republican. Springfield, MA. Retrieved 2019-02-16.
  5. 1 2 "MGM Resorts International and MGM Growth Properties complete transaction to acquire Empire City Casino in Yonkers, New York" (Press release). MGM Resorts International. January 29, 2019. Retrieved 2019-02-16– via PR Newswire.
  6. ↑ Segall, Eli (May 2, 2022). "Casino landlord Vici closes $17B buyout of MGM Resorts spinoff". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
  7. ↑ "Top Projects Complete: 6, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway" (PDF). New York Construction. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2010.
  8. ↑ Gannon, Michael (October 12, 2006). "Yonkers Casino Off To Modest Start". The Journal News. Archived from the original on October 31, 2006. Retrieved October 16, 2006.
  9. ↑ Gannon, Michael (October 24, 2006). "Yonkers Casino Already State's Most Profitable". The Journal News. Archived from the original on December 3, 2006. Retrieved October 26, 2006.
  10. 1 2 "Study Cites Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway State's Biggest Success Story". Yonkers Tribune. HEZImedia, Inc. February 17, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  11. 1 2 Bufano, Paul (January 31, 2013). "Yonkers Empire City Casino Wraps Up $50M Expansion". Yonkers Daily Voice. Cantata Media. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Our Story". Dan Rooney's. Archived from the original on April 9, 2013.
  13. ↑ "Celebrity Judges Name Dan Rooney's Cafe & Bar Champion of Food Festival Burger Battle" (Press release). Empire City Casino. December 24, 2015. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  14. 1 2 Fabricant, Florence (April 9, 2013). "Off the Menu". New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Nonnos". Empire City Casino. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Empire Terrace Restaurant". Empire City Casino. Archived from the original on June 23, 2013.
  17. ↑ Manzi, John (November 8, 2006). "Monticello's richest day to go postward on Friday" (Press release). Monticello, New York: Monticello Raceway. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved November 9, 2006.
  18. ↑ "Empire City Casino". Hudson Valley, CT & Beyond Getaways. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  19. ↑ Karen. "Bee-Line Bus Schedules and Maps". Bee-Line. Westchester County, New York . Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  20. ↑ "The Accurate Database of U.S. National Champions". therealxc.com. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
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