MGM Yonkers Raceway has announced several schedule changes for the rest of 2023 that fans and industry participants need to be aware of. The most notable change is the $1,000,000 MGM Yonkers International Trot. The Trot was moved from September 23 to September 9. With this move, the post time of races on September 9 will begin at 12:00 P.M. Eastern Time, while the card on September 23 will revert to the normal 7:00 P.M. time slot.
Moreover, the September 9 program will include a six-figure Invitational race for older pacers, one for older trotters, and eight $225,000 New York Sire Stakes championship finals, with total purses on the card exceeding $3 million. This means that there will be no live racing on Friday, September 8, due to the date switch.
Starting from the week of May 1, MGM Yonkers Raceway will remove Wednesdays from its weekly schedule and replace it with Saturday racing. This change will result in a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday schedule until September 30. After that, live racing will return to a Monday to Friday schedule until December 20, with the exception of Wednesday, July 26, which has been added to the calendar, and a Monday/Tuesday only schedule during the week of Thanksgiving.
The first Saturday card on May 6 will be drawn alongside Friday (May 5) on Monday, May 1, with the entry box closing at 3:00 P.M. Another change to take note of is on Kentucky Derby Day (May 6), where MGM Yonkers Raceway will offer a first race post time of 4:00 P.M. All the schedule changes mentioned are still pending New York Gaming Commission approval.
Overall, fans and industry participants need to mark their calendars with these changes to MGM Yonkers Raceway’s schedule for the rest of 2023. These changes include the MGM Yonkers International Trot moving from September 23 to September 9, the addition of Wednesday, July 26, and the removal of Wednesdays from the weekly schedule, and a first race post time of 4:00 P.M. on Kentucky Derby Day.
