Vernon Downs Casino Hotel: harness racing nights, the casino floor and how to bet from New York

Friday and Saturday nights: the 2026 Vernon meet

Vernon Downs runs a spring-to-fall harness meet. The 2026 season runs April through November, with live racing on Fridays and Saturdays and first post at 5:05 p.m., according to the track.

That makes Vernon a weekend-evening track, a different slot from Saratoga Harness’s noon matinees and Yonkers’s weeknight cards. Races stream live through a Racetrack Television Network (RTN) subscription, and the track publishes its take-out rates alongside the media guide and StatsMaster stats.

For newcomers, Vernon runs a “Racing College” section on its site that covers reading a program and basic handicapping.

New to harness betting? What changes at Vernon

Harness horses are standardbreds, and they race at one of two gaits: trotters move diagonal legs together, while pacers move the legs on the same side together. Both pull a two-wheeled sulky steered by a driver, not a jockey. Programs list the gait for every race, and the bet types are the same ones you know from thoroughbreds: win, place, show, exactas, trifectas and multi-race bets like the Pick 4.

Vernon Downs’ biggest races: Zweig, Empire Breeders Classic and Sire Stakes

Vernon’s stakes calendar is built around New York-breds and top trotters:

• Dr. Harry M. Zweig Memorial Trot: a feature for 3-year-old trotters
• Empire Breeders Classic
• New York Sire Stakes: several legs for New York-bred 2- and 3-year-olds each season

Check the track’s stakes page for 2026 dates and purses.

Video gaming machines and the Vernon Rewards Club

Vernon Downs Casino Hotel is one of the eight video lottery facilities listed by the NY State Gaming Commission. The floor has video gaming machines, and play is tracked on the Vernon Rewards Club card.

Casino hours are 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

What’s not here: live table games and a sportsbook. In New York, retail sports betting is limited to commercial and tribal casinos. The closest is the Oneida Indian Nation’s Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona. Vernon’s sister property, Tioga Downs in Nichols, holds a commercial casino license and adds live tables and harness racing of its own.

Turning race night into a weekend at the hotel

The property operates as Vernon Downs Casino Hotel, with guestrooms, hotel packages and dining on site, so a Friday or Saturday race night can turn into a weekend without moving your car. The track’s site also lists local attractions for overnight guests.

Stuhlman Road, between Syracuse and Utica

Vernon Downs is on Stuhlman Road in Vernon, Oneida County, between Syracuse and Utica. Most visitors drive via the New York State Thruway (I-90). Phone: (315) 829-6800.

Placing Vernon Downs bets through an ADW app

You can bet Vernon from your phone through a licensed advance deposit wagering app. TVG, TwinSpires, DK Horse, Xpressbet and AmWager all take New York customers, according to the NY State Gaming Commission. Harness coverage varies by app, so check that Vernon is listed. Compare the legal options in our online horse betting guide.

On site, Vernon also offers simulcast wagering on other tracks.

Vernon Downs FAQ