Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers Raceway is a harness racing track located at the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Yonkers Avenue (between exits 1 and 2 of the New York State Thruway) in Yonkers, New York near the New York City border. It's a half-mile oval dirt track for standardbred racing.

Related Topics:
Harness racing - New York State Thruway - Yonkers - New York - New York City - Standardbred

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Yonkers Raceway, considered a city landmark, was first opened in 1899. At the time it was called Empire City Trotting Club. After it's first year of operation, it remained closed for most of the next seven years except for special events, then reopened as a thoroughbred race track in 1907. It continued to host "the flats" until 1942, when it was converted back to being a harness track. In 1950 it was renamed Yonkers Raceway. Its popularity having greatly declined since the 1960s (when crowds would occasionally reach 50,000), the entire property has become an eyesore due to its owners leaving it in a state of disrepair. All the outer bricks from one side of the main racetrack building are missing, and several small dilapidated shacks and a large three-level parking garage are located there, the latter having been blocked off and deserted for many years due to deteriorating and falling concrete. A very small portion of it's huge parking lot is actually used by racetrack customers anymore, most of the space instead being rented out to car dealerships and other companies to use as storage for their vehicles. On a warm humid day, the pungent scent of horse manure can waft into nearby neighborhoods up to a quarter mile away from the stables. Various non-racing related events also take place on the property, including open-air flea markets which are held there every Sunday in the spring-fall where both used and new items of all kinds are sold. - This information current as of 6-22-2005.

Related Topics:
1899 - Empire City Trotting Club - Thoroughbred - 1960s - Parking garage - Flea market

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Yonkers previously was the site of one of the legs of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers known as the Cane Pace. It still annually holds the Yonkers Trot, one of the legs of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters. In 2004, due to renovations being done at Yonkers, the race was moved to Hawthorne Racecourse in Stickney, IL, for one year.

Related Topics:
Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers - Cane Pace - Yonkers Trot - Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters - Hawthorne Racecourse - Stickney, IL

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