This is where it all started: in the heart of America’s fourth-most populous yet busiest state of New York. OTB New York erupted thanks legalizing it in 1970 and despite the closures of NYC OTB, the state’s official off-track betting corporation, horse race betting remains steadfast in closer circles. There is plenty of horse racing action left in the Empire State.
Let’s cover the most significant OTB New York topics like:
Plenty of betting odds, most at competitive prices
Amazing live-betting platform, the best
One of the best live streaming platforms in the industry
Occasional popups
Odds
Bet365 has made a name for itself by living up to its name: it offers numerous off-track betting odds around the clock
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Bet365 is a thoroughbred in the world of online sports betting and this includes the racebook. It continues to improve with its peerless live betting and live streaming combo combined with its competitive daily odds and signup promotions. Bet365 is always a contender.
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Interface is tidy and beginner-friendly
Plenty of bonuses, especially for casual players
A plethora of horse racing bets from many markets
Limited options with parlays
Odds
The racebook odds are solid and while they aren’t always the best, they are usually around what the market is at; there is plenty of them and includes exotic wagers
Bonuses
BetOnline has a wide selection of racebook promos including a horse racing rebate and a no-risk bonus (up to $25 refunded if you lose a bet) for first bets
One of the best racebooks for recreational players, BetOnline’s slew of promotions make it too sweet of a deal to pass on this book. They offer plenty of horse racing markets at market price odds. Whether a new player or a seasoned bettor, BetOnline’s racebook should be a top choice.
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Solid user interface on both mobile and desktop
Multiple bonuses and promotions including horse bet rebates
Lots of betting markets including futures and props
Rarely ever the first to post betting odds
Odds
Bovada has been a mainstay in the industry thanks to always having betting odds at your disposal and this extends to their racebook
Bonuses
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Of course, OTB New York is legal. It began in 1970 when the New York State Legislature enacted the first off-track betting law. This gave rise to the New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation (NYC OTB), which allowed municipalities across the state to create their own OTB operations.
The NYC OTB covered the five boroughs of New York City and was flourishing in the 1980’s. They came so close to becoming privatized, but the state legislature sat on the deal and mayor Michael Bloomberg eventually cancelled it.
This led to the eventual demise of the NYC OTB, which filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection in 2009 and dissolved all of its remaining 66 parlors.
However, regional OTB’s remain operational across the great state. Capital OTB manages 16 counties including Albany and Schenectady. Catskill OTB governs ten, which includes Catskills and the Southern Tier region. Nassau OTB covers Nassau County, Suffolk OTB covers Suffolk County, and Western OTB watches over the 15 counties of Western New York, which includes Buffalo and Rochester.
These OTB corporations accept wagers at full-service branch locations or self-service terminals in restaurants, bars, or even through telephone and Internet.
Alternatively, you can find plenty of horse racing action in online sportsbooks and racebooks.
Horse racing happens for most of the year in New York but mainly during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. The obvious race of note in New York is the Belmont Stakes, which takes place every first or second Saturday of June in spring.
In August, there is the Whitney Stakes at the Saratoga Race Course. It has a top-tier rating by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) putting it in the same group as the Kentucky Derby. Later in the month is the Travers Stakes, also at Saratoga, which is considered one of the most significant non-Triple Crown races in the United States. Its $1.25 million prize is even larger than the Belmont Stakes’.
The Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing, one of the premier events for three-year-old fillies happens from June to August beginning with Acorn Stakes at Belmont Park, the Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama Stakes, both at Saratoga.
There is also the “Big Apple Triple”, which consists of the Mike Lee Stakes in May, the New York Derby in July, and the Albany Stakes in August. The Mike Lee Stakes take place in Belmont Park, the New York Derby in Finger Lakes, and the Albany is at Saratoga.
In the Fall, you’ll want to pay attention to the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the main event to the fall meeting at the Belmont Park. It is to Fall what the Belmont Stakes is to spring and what the Travers Stakes is for summer in Saratoga.
As one of the forefathers of OTB New York, horse racing has a rich history in New York. Despite the sport being more niche now, its collection of racetracks are world-renowned. A good chunk of the most important horse races occur in the state led by the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park.
Belmont Park, the state’s most iconic track, is also one of its biggest. It contains three separate tracks within it: the dirt racecourse known as the “Main Track” at 1 ½ miles (12 furlongs) long, where the Belmont Stakes is ran, the “Widener Turf Course” at 1 5/16 miles (10.4 furlongs), and the “Inner Turf Course” at 1 3/16 (9.4 furlongs). It is just east of New York City.
The Saratoga Race Course is the next premier racetrack in New York. Like its New York Racing Associate (NYRA) sister tracks, it has three separate tracks: the main dirt track, an outer turf track, and the inner turf track. It hosts several major horse races like the Travers Stakes and the Saratoga meet, which lasts for 40 racing days and spans from mid-July through Labor Day in September.
Finger Lakes Racetrack opened in 1962 as one of the state’s newer race courses. It features some innovative additions to its casino including the racino and is widely popular in the state. It hosts the New York Derby among significant horse races.
Other horse tracks of note are the Aqueduct Racetrack in the South Ozone Park in Queens and the Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino (formerly the Empire City Race Track) in Yonkers, New York, close to the New York City border.
The iconic Belmont Park is New York’s most esteemed racetrack. Located just east of New York City, Belmont Park opened in 1905 and hosts the Belmont Stakes, the third and final leg of the Triple Crown. It is known as the “Test of the Champion” for how difficult it is even for Triple Crown favourites.
Belmont Park is sometimes referred to as the “Championship Track” due to how many major champions in racing have competed. It hosted a record 120,139 people in 2004, which was infamous for Smarty Jones failing in its Triple Crown bid.
The racetrack is also known as the “Big Sandy” due to how large it is at 1 ½ miles (12 furlongs). Other than the Belmont Stakes, the racetrack also hosts other notable races such as the Acorn Stakes, the first leg of the US Triple Tiara and the Jockey Club Gold Cup, the main event of the fall meeting at the park.
Other notable races include major races on turf (grass) including the Belmont Derby, Belmont Oaks, and the Man O’ War Stakes.
Belmont Park was also home to early aviation shows and has been featured prominently in pop culture including movies like Mighty Aphrodite in 1995 and in television like a 1975 episode of The Odd Couple.
Considered the oldest major sporting venue in the United States, the Saratoga Race Course opened in the summer of 1863. It is actually only the fourth-oldest racetrack. It holds a handful of premier horse races most notably the Travers Stakes, Whitney Handicap, the Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Alabama Stakes, all Grade-I races.
The Travers Stakes, more popularly known as the “Mid-Summer” Derby is the most prestigious race at Saratoga ranked only behind the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. It boasts a whopping $1.25 million purse and is notorious for seeing two Triple Crown winners: Gallant Fox in 1930 and American Pharaoh in 2015 lose in shocking upsets.
The Whitney Stakes has a $1.2 million purse and is graded the same as the Kentucky Derby. The Coaching Club American Oaks and the Alabama Stakes, are the second and third legs of the American Triple Tiara, respectively.
Like its sister track, Belmont Park, Saratoga has three separate tracks. The biggest and most commonly used is the main dirt track at 1 1/8-mile (9 furlongs) long. The Mellon Turf Course is a 1-mile (8 furlongs) turf track, and the inner turf track is the smallest at 7 furlongs (about 0.875 miles).
Saratoga has been famous for a rich history of upsets. The legendary Man o’ War suffered his only defeat in 21 starts here, losing to Upset in the 1919 Sanford Stakes. Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year lost in the 2010 Personal Ensign Stakes. And three Triple Crown winners lost here including the aforementioned Gallant Fox and American Pharaoh and the one-and-only Secretariat in 1973.
Finger Lakes Racetrack rounds out the “big three” racetracks in New York. Located in Farmington in Western New York (just a few miles from Rochester), the racetrack is just one mile south of the New York State Thruway.
Opening in 1962, Finger Lakes is home to extensive horse races but is mostly known for hosting the New York Derby, the second leg of the Big Apple Triple. It also hosts the Wadsworth Memorial Handicap every Fourth of July as well as the New York Breeders’ Futurity. It is left-handed and is 1 1/16 miles (8.5 furlongs) long.
The New York Derby has a purse of $150,000 and is raced between three-year-old New York-bred horses. Striders’ Ormsby holds the speed record at 1:42:85 in 2005 although Tin Cup Chalice stands as the only New York-bred horse to win this race along with the rest of the Big Apple Triple.
Finger Lakes became Tin Cup Chalice’s home until his tragic death during an accident just under a year after he won the Triple. The track has undergone several ownership changes but is currently owned by Delaware North.
The most recent addition to the track is the “racino”, a casino-style video gaming floor. After some financial hardship in the 1980s, Finger Lakes rebounded and has now been one of New York’s most popular racetracks.
OTB New York Locations
8315 Park Road
Batavia, NY 14020
Phone +1 716 343-1423
Fax: +1 716 343-6873
Arcade Hotel
266 Main Street
Arcade, NY, 14009
Phone: (585) 492-9909
Balloon’s Restaurant & Nightclub
20 Monroe Street
Ellicottville, NY, 14731
Phone: (716) 699-4162
Dakota Grill
913 Roosevelt Highway
Hilton, NY, 14468-9781
Phone: (585) 392-3737
DR’s Inn
1743 East Avenue
Rochester, NY, 14610
Phone: (585) 271-0820
Firehouse Saloon
814 South Clinton Avenue
Rochester, NY, 14620
Phone: (585) 319-3832
Gates Pub
24 Hinchey Road
Rochester, NY, 14624
Phone: (585) 235-0580
Harry’s Place
23 W. Main St.
Waterloo, NY, 13165
Phone: (315) 539-0809
Holland Willows
177 Savage Road
Holland, NY, 14080
Phone: (716) 537-9070
LB Grand
39 Main Street
Leroy, NY, 14482
Phone: (585) 768-4300
Lighthouse Lanes
295 East Albany Street
Oswego, NY, 13126
Phone: (315) 342-2695
Marina Restaurant & Bar
4768 Lake Avenue
Rochester, NY, 14612
Phone: (585) 663-5233
Matt’s News
93 East 3rd St.
Dunkirk, NY, 14048
Phone: (716) 366-4909
McKenzies Irish Pub
3685 West Henrietta Road
Rochester, NY, 14623
Phone: (585) 334-8970
Page’s Grill & Bar
4725 Transit Road
Depew, NY, 14043-4883
Phone: (716) 608-0172
Pastaria Pub
7281 West Main Street
Lima, NY, 14485
Phone: (585) 624-2080
Scrupules
2875 South Main Street
Newfane, NY, 14108
Phone: (716) 778-9113
Stick’s Sportsbar & Grill
3738 County Rte. 6
New Haven, NY, 13121
Phone: (315) 963-3084
Stroh’s Tavern
9566 Old Lake Shore Road
Angola, NY, 14006
Phone: (716) 549-0480
TC Hooligan’s
134 Greece Ridge Center Drive
Rochester, NY, 14626
Phone: (585) 225-7180
The Club House at Chili Country Club
760 Scottsville-Chili Road
Scottsville, NY, 14546
Phone: (585) 259-5707
Tucci’s Booze Burgers & Betting Parlor
1479 Lyell Avenue
Rochester, NY, 14606
Phone: (585) 254-7740
Wooden Nickel
18 Liberty Street
Bath, NY, 14810
Phone: (607) 776-6722
Suffolk Regional Off Track Betting Corporation
5 Davids Drive
Hauppauge, NY, 11787
Phone:+1 516 853-1000
Fax: +1 516 853-1080
Airport Branch
300 Knickerbocker Ave.
Bohemia, NY, 11716
Commack Branch
6243 Jericho Turnpike
Commack, NY, 11725
Shirley Branch
60 Northern Boulevard
Shirley, NY, 11967
Centereach Branch
1937 Middle Country Rd.
Centereach, NY, 11720
Route 110 Branch
1741A Broadhollow Road (Rte. 110)
East Farmingdale, NY, 11735
Sunrise Branch
1375 Sunrise Highway
Bay Shore, NY, 11706
The Racing Forum
690 Motor Parkway
Hauppauge, NY, 11788
Playwright Irish Pub
27 West 35th Street
New York, NY, 10001
Phone: (212) 268-8868
Catskill Regional Off-track Betting Corporation
Park Place
Pomona , NY 10970
Phone: +1 914 362-0400
Fax: +1 914 362-0419
Birtchy’s Restaurant
567 Conklin Road
Binghamton NY 13903
Phone: (607) 217-4229
Delanceys Bar & Restaurant
106 Clowes Ave
Goshen, NY, 10924
Phone: (845) 294-8254
Elmira / Horseheads
4133 Route 17
Horseheads, NY, 14845
Phone: (607) 739-2525
Villa Roma Resort
356 Villa Roma Road
Callicoon, NY, 12723
Phone: (877) 256-7505
Fred’s Inn
5149 New York 12
Norwich, NY, 13815
Phone: (607) 334-9282
Georgie O’s
787 Violet Avenue
Hyde Park, NY, 12538
Phone: (845) 229-9996
Hi-Tor Lanes
40 South Route 9W
West Haverstraw, NY, 10993
(845) 429-8000
Sal’s Place
99 Vineyard Avenue
Highland, NY, 12528
Phone: (845) 691-2811
Nassau Regional Off Track Betting Corporation
220 Fulton Avenue
Hempstead, NY, 11550
Phone: +1 516 572-2800
Fax: +1 516 572-2840
Franklin Square
1063 Hempstead Turnpike
Franklin Square NY, 11010
Freeport
131 W. Sunrise Highway
Freeport, NY, 11520
Trinity Restaurant
190 Jericho Turnpike
Garden City Park, NY 11o01
Phone: (519) 358-5584
Green Acres
1065 Green Acres Mall
Valley Stream, NY, 11580
Levittown
2680 Hempstead Turnpike
Levittown, NY 11756
Oceanside
3450 Lawson Boulevard
Oceanside, NY, 11572
Potter’s Pub
2045 Hempstead Turnpike
East Meadow, NY, 11554
Phone: (516) 794-6698
Race Palace
1600 Round Swamp Road
Plainview NY, 11803
Phone: (516) 572-8200
The Barefoot Peddler
37 Glen Cove Road
Greenvale, NY, 11548
Phone: (516) 621-4840
B.K. Sweeney’s Parkside Tavern
356 Broadway
Bethpage, NY, 11714
Phone: (516) 935-9597
B.K. Sweeney’s Uptown Grille
636 Franklin Avenue
Garden City, NY, 11530
Phone: (516)-746-3075
Charlie Meaney’s
52 Central Ct
Valley Stream, NY, 11580
Phone: (516) 596-2337
Churchill’s Restaurant and Bar
18 South Park Ave
Rockville Center, NY, 11570
Phone: (516) 766-2500
Edison’s Ale House
550 Plandome Road
Manhasset, NY, 11030
Phone: (516) 627-7722
J Paul’s Terrace Cafe
239 Merrick Road
Oceanside, NY, 11572
Phone: (516) 536-1806
Pool House Billiards & Sports Cafe
2732 Grand Ave
Bellmore, NY, 11710
Phone: (516) 409- 9728
Runyon’s Restaurant
3928 Merrick Road
Seaford, NY, 11783
Phone: (516) 221-2112
