The Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) on May 6 was a business success for Churchill Downs, as attendance of 110,122 was third-highest in the history of the race and both on-track and total wagering increased over last year.
The track reported on-track handle of $12.1 million on the full Kentucky Oaks Day race card, an increase of 2.1% over 2010’s on-track total of $11.9 million. and on-track wagering on the Oaks race was $3 million, an increase of 7.4% over the $2.8 million wagered one year earlier.
All-sources wagering on the Kentucky Oaks card set a record of $37.5 million, an increase of 4.2% over the prior year’s $36 million. All-sources handle on the Oaks race itself was $11.4 million, up 8.2% over 2010’s $10.6 million. Churchill Downs returned $30.6 million to bettors, which amounts to 81.6% of total wagering on the Oaks Day race card.
Kentucky Oaks Day again provided a platform to put “Ladies First” and celebrate women and causes important to them. For the third straight year, Churchill Downs partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global leader of the breast cancer movement, and the Kentucky-based nonprofit organization Horses and Hope to honor breast cancer survivors and raise money for breast cancer research and education.
