Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track facts for kids

Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack is an exciting place in Farmington, New York State. It's where you can watch fast thoroughbred horse races. It also has a fun casino area with games. You can find it about 25 miles southeast of Rochester. The track is close to New York State Thruway exit 44.

History of the Racetrack

Finger Lakes Racetrack first opened its doors on May 23, 1962. It started as a place just for thoroughbred horse races. Over the years, the racetrack has had different owners. It has also seen times when it was very popular and times when it struggled financially.

Many famous jockeys have ridden horses at Finger Lakes. Some of these include Angel Cordero, Pat Day, Julie Krone, and Bill Shoemaker. A well-known race announcer named Ross Morton worked there from the very first day until 2008. Also, a special horse named Tin Cup Chalice called Finger Lakes home. He was the first horse to win the "Big Apple Triple Crown of Racing."

In the 1980s, a new way to bet on races started. It was called Off-track betting. This meant people could bet on races without being at the track. Because of this, Finger Lakes, which only held races from spring to fall, faced financial challenges.

But things got better in the 1990s! Finger Lakes started simulcast racing. This allowed people to visit the clubhouse all year round. They could bet on races happening at other tracks across the country.

In 2004, Finger Lakes Race Track changed its name. It became Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track. This happened after a big $10.5 million upgrade. The biggest part of this upgrade was adding a racino. A racino is like a casino, but it's connected to a racetrack. It has many video gaming machines. After the racino opened, more people started visiting the facility.

Exciting Races at Finger Lakes

Finger Lakes is famous for hosting the New York Derby. This is a special race for three-year-old horses. These horses must have been born and raised in New York State. The race is about 1 and 1/16 miles long. It offers a large prize of $150,000!

The New York Derby is part of a series of races called the "Big Apple Triple." This series also includes the Mike Lee Stakes at Belmont Park and the Albany Stakes at Saratoga Race Course. The New York Derby race usually takes place in July.

Currently, Finger Lakes Race Track does not offer any "graded stakes" races. Graded stakes are the highest level of horse races. However, they do offer many other exciting races throughout the racing season. These include ungraded and restricted stakes races.

List of Stakes Races

Here are some of the special stakes races held at Finger Lakes:

• George W. Barker Handicap
• Susan B. Anthony Handicap
• Wadsworth Memorial Handicap
• Niagara Stakes
• New York Derby
• Ontario County Stakes
• Arctic Queen Handicap
• Leon Reed Memorial Handicap
• Jack Betta Be Rite Handicap
• New York Oaks
• Lady Fingers Stakes
• Aspirant Stakes
• Genesee Valley Breeders Handicap
• New York Breeders' Futurity
• Proud Puppy Handicap
• Finger Lakes Juvenile Fillies
• Finger Lakes Juvenile