WIP · World in Pocket

Monticello Raceway

Monticello, Italy

Monticello Raceway

Monticello Raceway is a harness racing track and former casino in Monticello, New York. It is owned and operated by Empire Resorts. The racetrack is nicknamed "The Mighty M" and races standardbred horse races during the afternoons year-round. The current racetrack is a 1/2 mile oval. The track opene

d on June 27, 1958 in order to attract more people to Monticello's resort area. There had been attempts since 2000 to add a full-fledged Indian gaming casino operated by the St. Regis Mohawk tribe at the raceway, but they were met with backlash. Several Atlantic City casino operators, including Donald Trump, fought the proposal. Trump was fined for not disclosing his lobbying efforts. In January 2008, Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior vetoed any Mohawk plans for a casino saying the Mohawk reservation on the Canada–United States border was too far from the track. The casino at the raceway operated under a state license permitting slot machines at designated race tracks. In 2006, the track was the site of the so-called "Monticello Miracle", in which a racehorse hit World War II veteran Don Karkos in the exact spot where he had received shrapnel and...

Listen to the audio guide for Monticello Raceway Free on WIP — starts by itself when you arrive, even with the screen off

Nearby