A staple in the community, Batavia Downs has been bringing its brand of horse racing to Western New York for nearly 80 years. Opened in September of 1940, the half-mile course is the oldest lighted harness racetrack in the United States. For those of you who don’t know, lighted harness racing features a horse pulling a two-wheel cart that houses the jockey. They use reigns and the cart to control the horse and its speed throughout the race. It may look a little odd at first glance but if you love horse racing were sure you’ll enjoy this.
In 2005, following some changes to legal regulation in New York State, the track opened an onsite casino that featured over 600 video machines. The machines drew a new crowd of community members who traveled the half an hour drive from the surrounding cities of Rochester and Buffalo. This expanded the historic track’s reach beyond that of just the horse racing fans and further their connection to the local community.
The track and casino are home to four restaurants that serve some of the tastiest food in Western New York. Thurman’s 34 Rush is the onsite sports bar, perfect for catching a bite to eat with your friends while watching the game. Fortune’s is the local fine dining restaurant that features a quiet and relaxed atmosphere, making it the go-to for a night with the misses. The Clubhouse is a seasonal restaurant that allows you to watch all the live events while enjoying a fine dining experience, good for those who can’t get enough of the action. Finally, they have the Homestretch Grill, which provides all those classic tailgating foods like hot dogs and hamburgers, the best choice for when you are in a hurry.
We have had the honor of working with the Batavia Downs several times through their storied history. We provide ground-level office and storage containers for construction and remodels at the local gem. During our latest partnership with the track, they used one of our 40’ combo units which features an 8’ x 16’ office space and an 8’ x 24’ storage space. The unit proved to be an excellent solution to housing tools, materials, and equipment while providing a space to manage the project.
Being able to serve these long-lasting members of our local community is something we take very seriously. As a local family-owned business born in Upstate New York it is of the utmost importance that we make relationships with other organizations and members of the community around us. If you are a member of the Upstate New York community and are in need of storage, give us a call and we will be proud to serve you too!
