(Edited press release)
A crowd of 31,257 was on hand at Santa Anita on Oct. 24 for the first day of the two-day event with the first five of 14 Breeders' Cup World Championship races.
A North American record Friday all sources common pool handle on the 10-race card was $47,863,774, of which $6,852,096 was wagered on track at Santa Anita. All sources (common pool) handle for the five Breeders’ Cup World Championship races was $33,180,205 of which $4,315,487 was bet on track.
In addition, the Pick 6 pool, which included both Breeders’ Cup and non-Breeders’ Cup races was $1,008,267 while another $1,073,301 was wagered into the Pick 4 pool which encompassed both Breeders’ Cup and Santa Anita races.
“The horse racing fans of Southern California and sports fans around the world responded enthusiastically to the new format for Championship Friday," said Breeders’ Cup president/CEO Greg Aviol. "This was a day of amazing performances on the track, led by Zenyatta's spectacular Ladies’ Classic, and a perfect start to the 25th Breeders' Cup World Championships.”
