It has taken two decades, but the International Trot, one of harness racing’s elite events, is returning.
Yonkers Raceway, which last hosted the spectacle in 1995 (won by Sweden’s His Majesty), is bringing it back, complete with a million-dollar purse.
The race is slated for the afternoon of Saturday, October 10. The seven-figure purse will be Yonkers’ second-ever million-dollar race (the other being the 2007 Art Rooney Pace, which was won by Southwind Lynx).
The return of the International Trot has been discussed for years, gaining momentum with the success of last season’s International Trot Preview. That race, contested at a mile-and-a-quarter, was won by Natural Herbie (and his trainer/driver Verlin Yoder) in a world record 2:24.4.
Here’s what has been finalized so far…
- Purse - $1 million
- Distance – one and a quarter miles
- Horses Invited - 10
- Purse Distribution (same as all events) - Winner (50 per cent). 2nd (25 per cent), 3rd (12 per cent), 4th (8 per cent), 5th (5 per cent). Additionally, non-cashing overseas entrants will receive $37,500 via a purse supplement, while non-cashing North American entrants will receive $10,000.
“It’s our pleasure to bring back the International Trot,” the track’s president, Timothy J. Rooney, said. “It’s been a signature New York race since it debuted at Roosevelt Raceway back in 1959. We took over the race after Roosevelt closed, and it was very well received.
“With Yonkers now a major player in the overseas simulcast market, we feel this is the best time to showcase our track to the world by again inviting the best trotters in the world to race here. We have had tremendous cooperation from our horsemen, and all of us are looking forward to it.”
Again, many of the details of the International Trot (invitees, post time, etc.) have yet to be finalized, so updated information will be announced at a further date.
(Yonkers Raceway)