History

New York’s harness racing legacy runs long and deep – back to 1838 when horsemen first raced down the main street in Goshen, NY – which is now where the world’s Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame is located. In 1899, Yonkers Raceway was founded by the Empire City Trotting Club. This historic racetrack became one of the premier harness racing facilities in the country, typically hosting one or two legs of the Harness Racing Triple Crown. Several racetracks (Batavia, Buffalo and Saratoga) opened in the early 1940s with the advent of pari-mutuel wagering in New York. The famed Monticello Raceway opened in 1958.

Today, we have seven racetracks statewide – Batavia, Buffalo, Monticello, Saratoga, Tioga, Vernon and Yonkers – and a network of more than 100 breeding farms, training centers and boarding facilities across the state.

New York harness racing is recognized throughout the world for the quality of our competitions, the dedication of our community of fans and our ability to support the interests of our owners, trainers and drivers.