The 2021 Batavia Downs meet is only two months away, and the excitement of getting back to normal racing at the oldest lighted harness track in America can be felt throughout the facility.

“Having a new meet start just on its own is reason enough for optimism. But with COVID numbers dropping to new lows in New York and year-long restrictions now being lifted, everyone at Batavia Downs Gaming and Hotel is very much looking forward to the third week of July,” said Todd Haight, general manager and director of live racing at Batavia Downs. “There is so much going on at the track these days it’s hard to keep up, and being able to welcome all our loyal customers back to the track leaves us with a very high level of anticipation for the season to begin.”

The 2021 Batavia Downs meet kicks off on Wednesday, July 21, at 6 p.m. and runs for 59 dates, ending on Saturday, Dec. 11. In July and August, racing will take place on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. (except opening night), Saturdays at 6 p.m., and Sundays at 1:15 p.m. Then in September, October and November, the schedule shifts to Wednesday, Friday (except Nov. 19 and 26) and Saturday with all post times at 5 p.m. December cuts back to just Wednesday and Saturday, and both will go to post at 5 p.m.

There are two special matinee cards on Monday, Sept. 6, at 1:15 p.m., which is Labor Day, and Saturday, Nov. 6, at 3:15 p.m.m which is Breeders Cup Day.

The stakes schedule is enhanced from last year as the New York Sire Stakes will visit the Downs three times during the summer, bringing four of the eight divisions with them. On July 21, opening night, the NYSS two-year-old trotting fillies will be in town. One week later, on July 28, the Downs will host an all-stakes double-header as three-year-old pacers of both sexes will be on hand. And then on Aug. 4, two-year-old male trotters will close out the NYSS schedule.

The Excelsior A and B divisions will also be on hand for all the NYSS dates.

Batavia Downs also offers online wagering with bataviabets.com. Opening an account with bataviabets.com allows patrons to wager on all Batavia Downs races as well as every other harness and Thoroughbred track racing each day, plus they can also enjoy some of the top rewards nationwide for joining.

New customers who sign up will receive a $25 bonus after betting their first $100 through the service. Then, customers who bet $2,000 or more (based on monthly play) will receive an 8 per cent bonus added back to their account. Customers who wager between $500 and $1,999 (based on monthly play) will receive a 5 per cent added bonus. Anyone 18 and over can easily open an account online and then bet from their phone, anytime and anywhere.

Batavia Downs Gaming has also brought back the “Rockin' The Downs” concert series, and this year it’s bigger and better than ever. There will be a total of 12 Friday night concerts that will be held during June (starting June 11), July and August, including national acts like Vince Neal, Don Felder, Queensryche and Molly Hatchet. A complete list of bands, ticket details, dates and times can be found at www.bataviadownsgaming.com.

(Batavia Downs)