Yonkers: MGM Resorts announces 2020 stakes schedule revisions

Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts announced the dates of several stakes races to be held at Yonkers Raceway. The previously scheduled races were interrupted earlier in the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and have been rescheduled for later this year.

The MGM Borgata Pacing Series Final will be held Saturday, November 28 with an estimated purse of $400,000 and a $100,000 consolation. There will be two preliminary legs in the series on November 7 and November 14, each carrying a $50,000 purse with no declaration fee. The first leg of the series had been drawn for March 14 before the racetrack was closed on March 10.

The Blue Chip Farms Matchmaker Series will also be held on Saturday, November 28 with an estimated $200,000 Final and a $75,000 Consolation. There will be two preliminary legs in the series on November 6 and November 13, each carrying a $40,000 purse with no declaration fee. The first leg of the series had been drawn for March 13 before the temporary closure of the track.

A total of 27 mares are eligible for the Blue Chip Matchmaker and 46 horses are eligible for the MGM Borgata Pacing Series.

Another Yonkers Raceway series that was interrupted in March was the M life Rewards for Ladies and Gents. The M life races have been rescheduled for Monday, July 20. The M life Rewards Ladies and Gents will both have a $60,000 Final and $30,000 Consolation. Final standings for the series are available online at https://www.empirecitycasino.com/racing/series-standings/.

Due to travel restrictions and pandemic concerns around the world, the $1 million MGM Yonkers International Trot, originally scheduled for Saturday, September 12, will not be held this year. The $250,000 trotting and pacing invitationals planned for that day are also canceled.

The September 12 card will still feature more than $1.8 million in purses as part of the New York Sire Stakes Night of Champions which will be comprised of eight $225,000 New York Sire Stakes Finals. Also remaining intact are the MGM Yonkers Trot and MGM Grand Messenger Pace Stakes for 3-year-olds as well as the New York-New York Mile Trot and Park MGM Pace companion races for fillies of the same age group. The quartet of stakes is scheduled for September 5.

-edited release (Yonkers)