Yonkers Raceway released its 2010 stakes schedule on Sunday, highlighted by a number of signature
events.
The older crowd gets first crack at the big coin, with the popular George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series beginning Saturday, March 27. A night earlier, it's the opening round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker for pacing mares.
Each event offers five preliminary rounds, with individual races worth $40,000 (Matchmaker) and $50,000 (Levy), respectively.
Both series finals are scheduled for Saturday, May 1, with estimated purses of $370,000 for the Levy and $220,000 for the Blue Chip Matchmaker.
Yonkers once again proudly hosts a trio of major races for three-year-olds, as well as their filly companion events.
The Art Rooney Pace, with an estimated $600,000 purse, goes Saturday, June 12, as does the $330,000 (est.) Lismore. Elimination races - if necessary - for these events are scheduled for the previous Saturday (June 5).
The 56th Yonkers Trot goes Saturday, July 10, and offers an estimated purse of $510,000. That evening also features the $280,000 (est.) Hudson Filly Trot. Elims - again, if necessary - for both marquee trotting classics are set for Saturday, July 3.
The $500,000 (est.) Messenger Stakes, along with the $350,000 (est.) Lady Maud Pace, are both scheduled for Saturday, November 6, with those eliminations – if necessary - going the previous Saturday, October 30.
The multi-million-dollar New York Sire Stakes program, featuring the return of the New York Night of Champions, gets underway locally Monday, June 7, with an event for three-year-old trotting colts and geldings.
The New York Night of Champions is scheduled for Saturday, September 25, while the second annual Fall Harvest Series goes Friday, October 1.
Yonkers' stakes season officially begins Friday, February 19, with the opening round of the Hopeful Pacing Series for three-year-old fillies.
For more information, please contact the race office at (914) 457-2627.
(Yonkers Raceway)