Race Tracks > New York Race Tracks > Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack
Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack
Farmington, New York 14425
Location
The track and racino is located in Farmington in western New York State, approximately 25 miles southeast of Rochester, NY. The facility is about one mile south of New York State Thruway exit 44.
History
Finger Lakes Race Track opened on May 23, 1962 as a Thoroughbred horse race track. The race track has gone through several ownerships and a cycle of successful and near-bankrupt seasons.
The track as a seasonal business, holding races from spring to fall was financially hurt with the advent of Off Track Betting in the 1980s.
Finger Lakes rebounded in the 1990s when "Simulcast" racing began. Under this system, patrons were able to attend the clubhouse year-round and wager on races at other tracks around the country.
In 2004, Finger Lakes Race Track became Finger Lakes Gaming and Race Track after a $10.5 million renovation. The largest part of the renovation was the addition of a racino (casino-style video gaming floor.) Attendance soared at the facility.
Ross Morton, a well-known race caller, was Finger Lakes' announcer from opening day until his death in February 2008. And Tin Cup Chalice, the first winner of the Big Apple Triple Crown of Racing, makes his home here. (Tin Cup Chalice was killed on April 17, 2009 in a freak accident while training at the track. A colt named Zany bolted and collided with him. Both horses died.)
