Yonkers Raceway is preparing for the official start of its 2021 live racing season which is set to commence on January 11. The New York State Gaming Commission will have to issue its approval ahead of the first race on Monday, but the schedule itself is a rather innovative one bringing some 234 days of live races.
This year is about to be a riveting one for the horse people of New York State, as racetracks are ready to return to their daily operation with many and regular live racing dates sprinkled across the entire year. Yonkers Raceway was willing to introduce a new type of racing schedule on its premises. The ultimate goal is a handle surge.
Live Racing on Jan. 11
Yonkers Raceway wanted to benefit from the upcoming live race season which called for flexibility and the introduction of a new strategy. The racing hotspot wants to see fewer live races happening on a given night, as this makes it possible for horse racing fans to focus on and prefer one particular location, instead of trying to pick one.
The racetrack decided it will be best for the horse people relying on it if it scheduled its live races on days when other racetracks have none. One of the great changes that are still pending approval, will be the complete nixing of the live racing events on Saturdays. Instead, the horse racing hotspot would like to make Wednesday an equally popular racing day during this year’s live season. This way, Yonkers Raceway will still have five race days per week.
Starting Monday, live events will make every day until Friday special and more exciting for both horse people and the fans of horse racing. Every night the post time is set to 7:15 p.m. making it easier for people to enjoy them live. Some of the events taking place this year are expected to attract new fans too.
New Wagering Opportunities
MGM Borgata Pacing Series and the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series will electrify the horse racing field with their hefty purses and riveting action. Along with them, two of the Triple Crown events are also about to make Yonkers Raceway the place to be. Those are the MGM Yonkers Trot and MGM Grand Messenger Stakes returning this year following the 2020 hiatus due to the unprecedented situation.
Live races allow individuals to place wagers and potentially win big if their judgment is good. The 2021 live meet is expected to bring some changes to this aspect too. The Pick-4 and Pick-5 races are going to see a reduction in their takeout rate. Up until now, it amounted to some 25 percent, but the year 2021 is set to lower it to 20 percent.
This is expected to have a positive impact on the individuals placing wagers and attract more of them. As for the Pick-6 bet option, they will now be allowed to place US$1 bets on it. This will rank the popular wagers well on a state scale, making them the most lucrative ones.