This week is set to be a particularly exciting one for the horse racing fans of New York, as the New York Sire Stakes Series kicks off this week. The series officially commence on Monday, May 16, 2022, at the iconic Yonkers Raceway, and the first day is scheduled to have a thrilling 12-race card for 3-year-old-trotting fillies. The first event starts at exactly 6:55 p.m.
The New York Sire Stakes is one of the Empire State’s most distinguished harness racing programs which promotes the breeding, buying, and racing of Standardbred horses in New York State. The series is administered by the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund, and the program is the country’s oldest harness racing event of its kind.
Monday Start
As already mentioned, the start of the New York Sire Stakes Series promises to be an exciting one, as the series kicks off with a 12-race card on Monday, 16, 2022 at the Yonkers Raceway turf. This year, visitors at the track will be able to enjoy the race without strict health protocols, like the ones from last year, due to the unprecedented situation.
Barry Sample, who is the Chairman of the New York State Gaming Commission said a few words for the occasion. He said that the commission is looking forward to having a beautiful day of racing at the Yonkers Raceway’s oval. He also wished good luck to all of the owners, trainers, and drivers who will be taking part in this year’s competitive competition.
MGM Resorts, the operator and owner of the historic track also reminds, that for those who cannot make their way into the track, the live races will be live-streamed on Empire City Casino’s official web page. In addition to that, the full schedule for the 2022 New York Sire Stakes and the Excelsior Series can be found online at https://nysirestakes.com/racing/
This season’s finals for the 2022 NYSS will be held at Tioga Downs on September 10, 2022, while the finals for the Excelsior Series are slated to be on September 11, 2022, at Saratoga Race Course. The Day of the Champions will come with race purses of US$200,000 each, while individual purses for the Excelsior finals are set at US$50,000. All divisions are on course to feature seven preliminary legs.
Summer Preparations
In order to prepare for the busy summer season ahead, the New York Racing Association announced that it will be hosting a job fair on May 19, 2022. The event will be three days long and its purpose will be to recruit individuals for the 2022 summer meet at the Saratoga Race Course. Once more NYRA offers full-time, part-time, and summer job opportunities.
NY Could Have Fixed-Odds Bets on Horse Races
In the meantime, Sen. Joe Addabbo is working hard on providing more benefits for the horse racing industry in New York. The Senator commented that he wants to have fixed-odds betting on horse races. His notion is to add the offering in mobile sportsbooks before the end of the current legislative session that ends on June 2, 2022
Source: “New York Sire Stakes Series kicks off May 16 at Yonkers Raceway”, United States Trotting Association, May 13, 2022
