Indiana Grand Racing & Casino established pari-mutuel handle and attendance records July 16, when it offered a 10-race program featuring the $500,000 Indiana Derby (gr. II).
The total handle of $3,156,859 was the highest in the history of the track. The previous record was an estimated $2.7 million, according to track officials. The 12-horse Indiana Derby, won by Cupid, produced the highest one-race handle in track history at $914,311.
LAMARRA: Cupid Guts Out Victory in Indiana Derby
Attendance, which isn't tracked by turnstiles because Indiana Grand has a casino, was announced at a record 12,974.
The Indiana Derby, first run in 1995 when Hoosier Park held its inaugural Thoroughbred meet, moved to Indiana Grand in 2013 after Hoosier Park became a harness racing-only track and Indiana Grand got all the Thoroughbred and Quarter Horse dates. Both tracks are owned by Centaur Gaming.
The July 16 program, which offered six stakes, averaged 9.2 horses per race. Purses for the evening totaled $1,264,050.
