by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — The third of Yonkers Raceway’s six Sunday matinees goes this weekend, with another card that is overstuffed for overseas.

Post time for the dozen-race dossier is a bit after 11 a.m. Once again, the Sunday card is front-loaded with trotters, with the French-based audience wagering on the first five races. Those events are all added-distance (1-1/4 miles) with higher purses and overflow fields (12, 12, 10, 10 and 10 horses, respectively).

Included is the weekly trotting feature, a $46,000 Open Handicap (third race) where all 10 starters had their starting venues mandated.

Yonkers has seen very strong export numbers during the first two matinees, with the folks in France (as well as Switzerland, Belgium, Spanish Basque community, Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, Holland, Estonia and Malta) wagering more than 2.8 million Euros (or more than US$3.5 million) on the 10 races.

The half-dozen Sundays, running through Dec. 14 inclusive, replace five Tuesday nights (through Dec. 9).

As has been the case from the beginning, Yonkers is enticing both its evening regulars and the Sunday early risers with any number of freebies, including:

• a free Sunday live program with the purchase of a Saturday live program (advance wagering for YR’s Sunday races is available all day Saturday)
• free Sunday breakfast (egg sandwich and coffee) trackside between 10 a.m.-12 Noon (mutuel windows open on the track apron at 10 a.m. and beginning at 10:30 a.m. at other areas of the track)
• free Sunday bets — a $2 daily double (races one and two) and $1 exacta box (races two-five) — to the first 200 existing (or newly-enrolled) Empire Club members between 10-11 a.m. (all tickets are “quick picks”).
• Also, there’s a free promotional gift (while supplies last) and a chance to win dinner for two at any of the restaurants on the premises.

All Empire City Bets members receive a free dollar-box triple wager (not a “quick pick”) for Sunday’s third race, while selected ECB members are eligible for a $10 bet/get for wagers made on the first five “French” races.

In addition to Empire City Bets, several other ADW’s are continuing to offer special incentives for those wagering on these Sunday matinees.