2007 RACING DATES AND STAKES ANNOUNCED
Contact: Steven MartinDirector of Marketing/Publicity
585-924-3232 x235
FARMINGTON, N.Y. – Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack has announced plans for a 160-day meet during 2007. The schedule, which is pending approval of the New York State Racing & Wagering Board, is slated to begin on Saturday, April 14 with a 1:10 p.m. first post. The 2007 season will run through Saturday, December 1 and marks the 46th season at the Farmington, New York oval.
Post time will be 1:10 p.m. through November 3, with the only exceptions being each Friday between May 11 and July 27, as well as August 31 when first post will be set at 12:35 p.m. Post times for October 26 and 27 have yet to be determined. Beginning November 5, post time will move to 12:15 p.m. to accommodate the end of daylight savings time.
After opening on April 14, Finger Lakes will run live on Monday, Tuesday and Saturday the remainder of the month, before eventually moving to a five-day week with the addition of Fridays and Sundays in early May. Finger Lakes will run six days the week of July 4 with a special holiday card on Wednesday, July 4. Sunday, July 8 will be a dark day as a result. Thursday will replace Sunday as a race day during the week of September 9, and continue through the remainder of the season, with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, November 22 and November 29, when there will be no live racing.
The 2006 stakes schedule features 17 events throughout the season with total purse levels estimated to be over $1.2 million. In terms of total purses, the New York Breeders’ Futurity headlines the schedule with an estimated offering of $200,000. In 2006, the Futurity featured a total purse of over $250,000, making it the largest purse ever offered at Finger Lakes.
Highlights of the 2007 schedule include the 35th running of the $150,000 (added) New York Derby on Saturday, July 14. The New York Derby is the second leg of the Big Apple Triple for New York-bred 3-year-olds, which begins with the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park on June 24, and concludes on August 22 with the Albany Stakes at Saratoga.
In a shift from previous years, the running of the Aspirant and Lady Finger Stakes, both of which serve as a stepping stone to the New York Breeders’ Futurity for New York-bred 2-year-olds, have been moved from mid-August to Labor Day to allow additional development time for 2-year-olds before these stakes. This places the Futurity on October 6 this season, rather than on Labor Day as it has resided for many years.
For the fifth consecutive season, WYSL 1040 AM will provide exclusive live coverage of selected Finger Lakes stakes action. A total of four stakes, including pre and post race analysis, will be broadcast live, including the New York Derby.
The stakes season begins with the $50,000 George W. Barker Handicap (NY-bred 3-year-olds and up) on Memorial Day, May 28. The $50,000 Finger Lakes Juvenile (NY-bred 2-year-olds) wraps up the schedule on Saturday, November 3.
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