RACING AT FINGER LAKES

President and General Manager: Chris Riegle

Location: Farmington, NY Nearest City: Rochester, NY (20 Miles NW);

Area population: 1.1 million

Track Information: 1-mile oval; sandy loam; 6 furlong and 1 ¼-mile chutes; length of stretch: 960 feet

Stable Accommodations: 1,214

Seating: Grandstand: 4,000; Clubhouse: 2,000

Racing Hours: Racing doors open at 11:30am daily

Casino Hours: 8am-4am daily

Slot Machines: Nearly 1,200

Minimum Age: 18

RACING HISTORY:

It all began on May 23, 1962 as Pure Village took the inaugural race at Finger Lakes with a winning time of 1:17 3/5 for six furlongs. Throughout five decades of racing excitement, ‘the thumb’ has seen some of the greatest jockeys and thoroughbreds in the history of the sport grace its grounds, including Hall of Fame riders Angel Cordero, Pat Day, Julie Krone, and Bill Shoemaker. On September 24, 1978, Steve Cauthen, fresh off guiding Affirmed to a Triple Crown sweep in 1978, attracted a crowd of 11,030 that wagered a single day, on-track record of $765,580.

Fio Rito, stands above all others in Finger Lakes racing lore. In 1981, Fio Rito, a locally-based horse who was named New York State Horse of the Year in 1980, stepped into the national spotlight by winning the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. Fio Rito dominated at Finger Lakes throughout his career winning 19 of 27 starts. Upon his passing in 1996 at the age of 21, Fio Rito was buried in the Finger Lakes infield- the only horse buried on the Finger Lakes grounds.

And no appearance was more exciting than Funny Cide’s run in the $100,000 Wadsworth Memorial Handicap on July 4, 2007. The first-ever Kentucky Derby winner to race at Finger Lakes did so in style charging from behind and pulling away down the stretch to win in what later turned out to be the final race of his distinguished career. More than 12,000 were on hand that day, the largest crowd since Finger Lakes’ inaugural season in 1962.

In 2002, Finger Lakes introduced an Equine Swim Facility. The aquatic facility is one of only a handful on track grounds in the country. Swimming provides horses an excellent means of cardiovascular and muscle conditioning, as well as physical therapy and rehabilitation from ailments that may prevent their training via traditional methods. It is a valuable option for trainers to provide conditioning to their stable.

Finger Lakes hosts several stakes each year, headlined by the New York Derby in July. The Derby is the second leg of the Big Apple Triple for New York-bred 3-year-olds, which begins with the Mike Lee Handicap at Belmont Park® in late June, and concludes with the Albany Handicap at Saratoga in mid-August. The New York Breeders’ Futurity on Labor Day is also a highlight as the New York-bred program continues its rapid rise in stature. In 2006, the Futurity featured the largest purse in the history of the track at just over $250,000.

In February 2004 the property experienced a tremendous resurgence, following the addition of video gaming machines to the facility- transforming itself into a multi-faceted entertainment destination with more than 1.7 million visitors enjoying gaming and racing. Currently on our 450 acre property we house over 1200 race horses in 21 barns, operate a world class equine swimming facility, maintain a 1 mile main racing track, a half mile training track, and nearly 1200 slot machines.

NTRA SAFETY & INTEGRITY ALLIANCE

Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack received full accreditation from The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) by the association’s Safety and Integrity Alliance in 2011. This involved a lengthy certification process which began with the completion of a 48-page written application, followed by several meeting with Alliance officials, and on-site inspections of all areas of the facility where extensive interviews were conducted with track executives, racetrack personnel, jockeys, owners, trainers, stewards and race fans.

THE RACING GIFT SHOP

Located in Upper Clubhouse, The Racing Gift Shop offers a variety of Finger Lakes, racing, and seasonal items. For your enjoyment, The Racing Gift Shop also offers programs for sale as well as Betting Carrels to rent. Open on live racing days, The Racing Gift Shop helps take care of your racing needs.

EZ BET CARD

Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack’s EZ Bet Card is a fun an easy way to Bet! Wagers are deducted directly from your balance AND winnings are placed directly into your account! EZ Bet cards are available in both registered and non-registered accounts. For more information on EZ Bet Cards please see a mutuel teller upon arriving at Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack.

BETTING CARRELS

Rent a Betting Carrel for the day! Most Betting Carrel has its own TV monitor and EZ bet station to help make it convenient for avid racing guests to wager and watch on live races. For more information on renting a Betting Carrel, please visit our Racing Gift shop located in our Upper Clubhouse upon arriving at Finger Lakes Casino & Racetrack.

REPLAY TERMINAL

Visit the free Racing Replay Center located near the Racing Gift Shop to watch past races from tracks across the country. Our features include easy-touch screen displays, replays by track, runner and dates, entries, changes, results, and much more!