Record Breeders' Cup Handle Tops $122M

Preliminary business figures for the 2005 Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships were released Sunday morning showing records were set in all major categories.

"When you quantify it and look at on site and off site, it was a big day," said NTRA Commissioner and Breeders' Cup president D.G. Van Clief Jr. Sunday morning. "In a year that wasn't exactly robust from a business standpoint this one stands out. It was a very good day in all respects."

Total wagering on Breeders' Cup day reached a record of $122,106,154 from common and separate pools during Saturday's 10-race card at Belmont Park. With figures from Italy, Sweden, Norway and the Caribbean nations not yet reported, this mark still breaks last year's all-sources total of $120,897,141.

Total wagering on the eight Breeders' Cup races was also a record with $112,865,068 wagered.

On-track wagering for the 10-race card, including the Head2Head wager, totaled a Belmont Park record $14,742,520, surpassing the old mark of $14,461,402 set on June 5, 2004 (Belmont Stakes when a track record crowd of 120,139 saw Smarty Jones' bid for the Triple Crown fail to Birdstone).

Simulcast wagering totaled $107,658,000. Gross purses were also the highest ever with $15,755,000.

Total pool of the Breeders' Cup Ultra Pick 6 reached $4,856,700. There were no tickets with all six winners. There were 40 correct tickets with five winners for a payout of $90,325.

The attendance for this year's Breeders' Cup was 54,289.