Finger Lakes delays reopening to July 20

Finger Lakes racetrack in upstate New York has pushed back its planned reopening by one week and will resume live racing on July 20, the track’s racing secretary said on Thursday.

Finger Lakes, which was initially scheduled to open its live meet on April 25, had previously announced that the track would reopen on July 13. The track’s racing office was scheduled to take entries for that date on Monday. But Fred Hutton, the track’s racing secretary, said that the opening had to be delayed to iron out some issues.

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Finger Lakes will take entries for the July 20 and July 21 cards on Monday, Hutton said.

New York gave approval for racetracks to reopen with spectator-free racing as of June 1. A casino at Finger Lakes that generates subsidies for racing remains closed.

Earlier this year, the track’s Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association distributed nearly a million dollars to trainers and owners who started horses at the meet last year. The money was intended to tide horsemen over during the COVID-19 pandemic.