The 2024 live Thoroughbred racing season at Finger Lakes Gaming & Racetrack is set to get underway on Monday, April 29. The historic Western New York track will kick off the meet with the eight-race Opening Day card.
The 91-day season will be highlighted by purse increases in various conditions. The elevation in some conditions is as much as 11 percent compared to 2023.
Bottom level claimers that are non-winners of the year or non-winners of four lifetime races will race for $14,000. The $5,000 maiden claimers will compete for $13,500.
Maiden $11,000 claimers will race for $17,000. Allowance purses will range from $26,000 for non-winners of two to $26,800 for non-winners of four. State-bred allowance races range from $24,500 to $26,000 for the third state-bred condition.
Also on Monday, last year's top performers will be presented with an award after the running of the fourth race. There were new faces that were atop the standings at the conclusion of the 2023 meet.
Keiber Coa finished the 2023 meet with 68 victories to claim his first FLGR riding title. The 31-year-old from Venezuela secured the top spot in his second season riding at FLGR. He was involved in a close race with Emanuel De Diego but won three races on closing day to earn the top ranking.
Coa is scheduled to be aboard three mounts on Opening Day.
Paul Barrow also captured his first ever FLGR trainer title in 2023. The veteran conditioner finished the meet with 61 victories to earn the honor over Chris Englehart.
Englehart had previously dominated the local standings with a record 20 trainer titles. Barrow snapped a five-year win streak of the FLGR Hall-of-Famer, who won the title 16 of the prior 18 years.
Barrow has a lifetime total of 914 victories in 5,729 starts including five career stakes. His most recent stakes victory was with Sweet Brown Sugar in the Shesastonecoldfox Stakes at FLGR on November 6, 2023.
The 2024 season will begin with a new race announcer. Anthony Stabile will be only the third race caller in the 62-year history of FLGR,
Stabile has served as the backup announcer on the NYRA circuit and has most recently called races at Yonkers Raceway. Stabile is well known for his time as co-host on the Talking Horses Handicapping show for the New York Racing Association.
The 2024 stakes schedule will feature 14 notable events. The most significant annual race, the $150,000 New York Derby, will be run on July 15. The richest stake of the year, the $200,000 (est.) New York Breeders' Futurity, is slated to take place on October 21.
Opening Day will feature free FLGR programs for on-track customers. Complimentary race-day programs will be available for download on the FLGR website for each day. Patrons can visit www.fingerlakesgaming.com to receive free Equibase Finger Lakes past performances.
FLGR will offer live thoroughbred action on Monday and Tuesday for the first two weeks of the season. Wednesday will be added as a race day on May 15. First race post time has been set at 1:15 pm for the initial two months of the FLGR meet.
