Finger Lake Racetrack
Finger Lake Racetrack is a 450-acre thoroughbred racing facility with a one-mile horse track in Farmington, New York. A racing season at the track offers approximately 165 racing programs. The season normally starts in mid-April and winds up in November.
Located in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region, the track has hosted 60,000 races and over 18 million racing enthusiasts since its establishment in 1962. Finger Lakes hosts several high-profile stakes events each year, among them are the New York Breeders’ Futurity, New York Derby, New York Oaks, Lady Finger Stakes and Aspirant Stakes.
Finger Lake Racetrack also has a 28,000 square foot gaming floor with over 1,000 video gaming machines.
Finger Lake Racetrack Facts
- Main Track: One mile, oval
- Track Surface: Sandy Loam
- Length of Stretch: 960 feet
- Chutes for 6 furlong & 1¼ mile races: Yes
- Distance from last turn to finish line: 960 feet
Finger Lake Racetrack Records
DISTANCE |
HORSE (Age) |
WGT. |
TIME |
DATE |
2 furlongs |
Broadway Blondie (5) |
116 |
0:21 4/5 |
4/3/1998 |
4 1/2 furlongs |
Top End (7) |
115 |
0:50 3/5 |
4/8/1998 |
5 furlongs |
Wonderous Wise (6) |
115 |
0:57 1/5 |
4/11/1989 |
5 1/2 furlongs |
Hilary Star (6) |
111 |
1:02 4/5 |
4/16/1989 |
6 furlongs |
Kelly Kip (4) |
119 |
1:08 1/5 |
6/20/1998 |
1 mile |
Transact (4) |
119 |
1:36 1/5 |
8/29/1994 |
1 mile & 70 yds. |
C B Account (4) |
116 |
1:40 |
7/6/1997 |
1 mile & 1/16 |
Fit For Royalty (9) |
119 |
1:43 |
5/19/1997 |
1 mile & 1/8 |
Copper Mount (3) |
119 |
1:48 4/5 |
8/27/1994 |
1 mile & 3/16 |
North Warning (10) |
113 |
1:58 2/5 |
7/10/1994 |
1 mile & 1/4 |
Caramba (6) |
114 |
2:05 1/5 |
7/11/1987 |
1 mile & 1/2 |
Brave Beast (6) |
124 |
2:33 3/5 |
9/22/1991 |
1 mile & 5/8 |
North Warning (10) |
119 |
2:46 3/5 |
9/4/1994 |
History of Finger Lake Racetrack
- Finger Lake Racetrack opened on May 23, 1962. Approximately 9,200 fans watched as Pure Village took the inaugural race at Finger Lakes with a winning time of 1:17 3/5 for six furlongs.
- On September 24, 1978, Steve Cauthen, fresh off guiding Affirmed to a Triple Crown sweep in 1978, attracted a crowd of 11,030 that wagered a single-day, on-track record of $765,580.
- One of Finger Lake Racetrack’s greatest pride is the horse Fio Rio. He dominated at the track throughout his career, winning 19 of 27 starts. In 1981, he was named New York State Horse of the Year, for winning the Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. Upon his passing in 1996 at the age of 21, he was buried in the Finger Lake Racetrack infield.
- The total amount wagered annually on Finger Lakes racing has grown from $14.3 million in 1962 to nearly $200 million in 2002. Finger Lake Racetrack enjoyed its most successful season ever in 1999 when fans wagered over $208 million.
- Throughout four decades of operation, Finger Lake Racetrack has seen some of the greatest jockeys and thoroughbreds in the history of the sport grace its grounds. Hall of Fame riders such as Angel Cordero, Pat Day, Julie Krone and Bill Shoemaker have demonstrated their skills at Finger Lakes. Meanwhile, thoroughbred sensations like Groovy, Safely Kept and Not Surprising are among the horses that showed off their form at Finger Lake Racetrack.
