Attendance, on-track handle, and all-sources handle remain up through three weeks of the Saratoga meet when compared with figures for the comparable period in 2006, the New York Racing Association announced Aug. 13.
Attendance is up 4.2%, on-track handle 7.4%, and all-sources handle 6.7%. Attendance for the 2007 meet is 500,280, up from 480,383 in 2006. On-track handle increased to $59,505,142 from $55,362,704 in 2006. All-sources handle rose to $279,246,931 from $261,799,720.
Saratoga has carded 172 races this year compared with 163 in 2006, when one racing day was canceled due to extreme heat. The number of total betting interests is 8.8 % from 2006 meet, to 1,499 from 1,378 in 2006.
“The first half of the 2007 Saratoga meet has been superb,” New York Racing Association president and chief executive officer Charles Hayward said in a statement. “The quality of the racing, combined with the good weather, has resulted in increased attendance and strong wagering handle both on and off track.”
This year’s meet had added meaning for NYRA, which is among four entities seeking the franchise to operate Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga after it expires Dec. 31.