09/10/2026
Yonkers, NY — MGM Resorts announced Wednesday (Sept. 9) that over the next year it will commit $550,000 toward the promotion of New York harness racing as part of a joint effort with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York (SOANY) and other stakeholders in the New York harness racing industry. The company and the SOANY also extend their racing agreement at the historic Yonkers Raceway through 2029.
New Yorkers for Harness Racing (NYHR) was formed last year to spotlight the significant economic benefits the sport delivers across New York State, including the thousands of jobs directly and indirectly dependent on harness racing. The NYHR website and social media presence detail both the extensive economic activity generated by the industry and the care horses receive from dedicated horsemen before their racing careers, on one of New York’s award-winning breeding farms; during, at the state’s training farms and seven harness tracks; and after, through world-class aftercare programs.
“I would like to thank the horsemen’s associations and breeding farms that have contributed to NYHR’s efforts to date,” said Joseph Faraldo, President of the SOANY. “We are pleased to have MGM Resorts as an important partner in the work of NYHR, which brings attention to the harness tracks and farms located throughout New York and the vast economic impact that harness racing has in New York both on and off the track. NYHR is focused on telling important truths about New York’s extended harness racing community, of which those of us involved in the industry are extremely proud.”
MGM Resorts’ commitment to the sport extends well beyond purses. Since acquiring Empire City Casino and Yonkers Raceway in 2019, MGM Resorts has undertaken the first major capital improvements to the historic track in decades, investing more than $1 million in enhancements that include resurfacing the famed half-mile oval with more than 6,000 tons of recycled material, installing state-of-the-art LED lighting, adding a new multiple-display LED infield tote board, and upgrading the horse paddock for the benefit of owners, trainers, drivers and the equine athletes. MGM Resorts has also invested in an experienced racing leadership team to guide the track’s on-track product.
“Since acquiring Empire City and Yonkers Raceway in 2019, we have been proud stewards of one of the most storied tracks in American harness racing,” said Louis Theros, President of MGM Northeast Group. “We made the first major capital investments this track had seen in decades, from the racing surface to the lighting, the tote board and the paddock, and brought in an experienced racing team, because we believe Yonkers Raceway’s best days are ahead. This commitment to New Yorkers for Harness Racing, together with our extended agreement with the horsemen, reflects a partnership built to last.”
Under MGM Resorts’ stewardship, Yonkers Raceway remains the proud home of marquee events including the world-famous MGM Yonkers International Trot, the MGM Ursula McIntyre Pacing Series, the MGM Borgata Pacing Series, and two Triple Crown events, the MGM Yonkers Trot and the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes, while continuing to offer the highest overnight purses in the United States alongside the New York Sire Stakes program, which each year showcases the next generation of Standardbred stars produced by New York’s award-winning breeding farms. Empire City and the SOANY also co-host a bipartisan annual event providing New York lawmakers with an opportunity to get a firsthand look at harness racing and its economic importance to communities across the state.
“Yonkers Raceway offers the richest overnight purses in the country, and our job is to make sure the racing lives up to them,” said Jonathan “Joe” Frasure, Race Secretary at Yonkers Raceway. “We are focused every day on attracting the best horses and horsemen in the sport and delivering the most competitive, highest-quality harness racing in the industry, while protecting the integrity of the sport and the care of every equine athlete on our grounds. That is how we honor this track’s history and keep it at the top of the sport.”
MGM Resorts and the SOANY also announced that they have agreed to extend the existing horsemen’s contract, which was due to expire on Dec. 31, 2028, for an additional year, through Dec. 31, 2029. MGM Resorts and the SOANY are proud to be the custodians of Yonkers Raceway, the premier harness track in New York, offering the highest overnight purses in the country, and look forward to many more years of working together.
For more information on Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts and Yonkers Raceway, visit www.empirecitycasino.com. Learn more about the SOANY at www.soaofny.com.
https://www.soaofny.com/mgm-resorts-commits-550-000-to-promote-new-york-harness-racing-in-partnership-with-soa-of-ny
Yonkers, NY — MGM Resorts announced Wednesday (Sept. 9) that over the next year it will commit $550,000 toward the promotion of New York harness racing as part of a joint effort with the Standardbred Owners Association of New York (SOANY) and other stakeholders in the New York harness racing indus...
