Attendance and handle at Saratoga continue to post increases compared with 2010 through the second week of the meet, or 10 days, according to the New York Racing Association.
NYRA on Aug. 1 reported attendance for the first 10 days was 201,400, up 1.3% from 198,857 in 2010. On-track pari-mutuel handle totaled $27,728,174, up 4.5% from $26,531,605 last year, NYRA said.
Wagering at the downstate Belmont Café and Aqueduct simulcast facilities totaled $4,821,561, resulting in a combined on-track handle of $32,549,735, up 11.4% from $29,207,549 in 2010.
All-sources handle, which includes wagers on Saratoga races both on track and from simulcast outlets nationwide, was $133,920,502, up 1.6% from $131,860,879 in 2010.
Average betting interests per race through week two were 8.5 (846 total) compared with 8.6 (831 total) for the first 10 days of 2010. Turf races totaled 44 with five taken off the turf, compared with 41 on and nine off in 2010.
