Yonkers, NY — Empire City Casino by MGM Resorts announced today the suspension of racing operations at its harness track, Yonkers Raceway, through Wednesday (March 18).

Empire City learned on Tuesday (March 10) that John Brennan, an employee of the Standardbred Owners Association, the harness horsemen’s association, tested positive for COVID-19 before passing away. Brennan had an office in the Yonkers Raceway paddock building located next to the racetrack and was last there on Feb. 28. His death was announced by New Jersey officials, as he was a resident of that state.

As a precaution, racing was canceled on March 10 and employees who had direct contact with Brennan were provided with information to secure testing, self-quarantine, and advised to contact their healthcare providers if they are experiencing symptoms. Professional cleaners were engaged to deep clean and sanitize the impacted areas, including the race office and paddock.

In addition to regular cleaning procedures, Empire City has increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting protocols, with a specific focus on high-touch surfaces. Additional hand sanitizer stations have been placed throughout the casino.

Empire City released the following statement: “The health and safety of our guests and employees remains our highest priority. We continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and closely follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials. We offer our deepest sympathies to the family of the colleague we lost. It is a tremendous loss to the sport of racing, the SOA, and the Yonkers Raceway team. He will be missed.”

Empire City Casino and its dining entities remain open with regular operating hours.