The New York Sire Stakes will not be raced in the month of May due to the state’s ongoing COVID-19 response and the announcement this week by Governor Andrew Cuomo that NYS on PAUSE will remain in effect until May 15.

This affects six scheduled events for state-bred three-year-olds in both the top tier sire stakes and Excelsior Series.

May 5 — Three-Year-Old Filly Trot at Yonkers
May 8 — Three-Year-Old Colt Trot at Vernon
May 11 — Three-Year-Old Colt Pace at Monticello
May 12 — Three-Year-Old Filly Pace at Yonkers
May 24 — Three-Year-Old Colt Pace at Saratoga
May 25 — Three-Year-Old Filly Pace at Vernon

The NYSS is focused on racing events safely this summer, contingent on guidance from state and federal government agencies. We will do our best to provide horsemen and owners the most certainty we can by announcing changes and rescheduling of events on an ongoing basis as the situation evolves.

“This is a challenging time for horsemen and owners and our first concern is for your health and safety. After that, our priority is for our participants to race and receive a return on their investment in this program,” said Kelly Young, executive director of the Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund.

“Under current conditions, we must acknowledge that it may not be possible to offer a full complement of eight legs for each of our divisions. We know this is disappointing, but we plan on each division having an equal number of legs and a final. Our goal is to preserve as many of our scheduled race dates as possible, but some changes will be necessary. We will work with state regulators, racetracks and horsemen to devise a strong plan for racing this year.

“Further, I want to assure stables which are winter training in other states and are waiting for backstretches to open that we acknowledge your situation, along with the need for all stakes horses to qualify, and we will factor that into our first race date.”

At this time no changes have been made to County Fair racing dates. Horsemen racing in all tiers of the program should be prepared for social distancing and other health-related safety protocols at all racing venues, including fairs.

The New York Sire Stakes appreciates the understanding of its horsemen and women and will continue to send updates as we navigate the future of the harness racing season. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact the New York Sire Stakes at [email protected].

(Agriculture & New York State Horse Breeding Development Fund)