Vernon Downs Horseracing

Vernon Downs is a horse track in Vernon, New York that features harness racing. Located approximately 30 miles east of Syracuse and 12 miles west of Utica, the track is found in a picturesque, rural setting in the geographic center of upstate New York.

Vernon Downs began racing operations on July 1, 1953. Its prominent reputation in the harness racing industry has been painstakingly built on quality, competitive racing and fast miles. The legendary pacer Adios Harry christened Vernon Downs as "The Home of the Miracle Mile" with his 1:55 world record performance in July of 1955, a racing standard that stood for 18 years.

For more than 50 years, many of harness racing's brightest stars, equine as well as human, competed in Vernon Downs' unique three-quarter mile track. However since July 1, 2000, horses have been racing over a modern 7/8ths-mile oval.

Vernon Downs Facts

• Width of Stretches: 100 feet
• Homestretch Length: 900 feet
• Speed Rating: v1:58
• Standing Start Positions: 10
• Clubhouse Seating Capacity: 1,500
• Grandstand Seating Capacity: 3,500

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