Officials See Monmouth Meet as Starting Point
Monmouth Park registered gains in average daily attendance but declines in pari-mutuel handle for its 65-day meet, officials said Oct. 7, closing day of the meet.
Attendance
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Travers Attendance, Handle Post Increases
Attendance and handle, both ontrack and all-sources, were up substantially from 2011 figures for the Aug. 25 running of the $1 million Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.
Spa Wagering Up 7.6%; Attendance Down 1.9%
While all-sources wagering increased 7.6% during the first three weeks of the annual boutique meet at Saratoga Race Course, the upstate New York track reported attendance had dipped by 1.9% through Aug. 6.
Handle Up at Del Mar After First 10 Days
Pari-mutuel handle at Del Mar continues to exceed 2011 levels, particularly on track, officials said July 29 after the second full week of racing.
Attendance, Handle Up as Saratoga Opens
Attendance, on-track handle, and total handle all posted gains over 2011 totals as 25,676 turned out for opening day of the 144th meeting at Saratoga Race Course July 20.
Tracks Report Business Gains on Derby Day
Racetracks reported an upswing in business because of the record-setting Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) program held May 5 at Churchill Downs.
Churchill Sets Handle Records for Derby Day
In addition to record attendance, Churchill Downs reported record all-sources wagering of $187 million for its 13-race Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) program May 5.
Atlantic City Meet Continues in Growth Mode
Atlantic City Race Course wrapped up its six-day turf meet with large crowds and what was said to be the largest crowd at the New Jersey track in 25 years.
Hollywood Park Reports Handle Up 13.8%
The Southern California track also reported its average daily handle up 9.5% but complete figures are not yet available for the 26-day Autumn meet.
Monmouth Meet: Down From 2010, Up From 2009
Business at Monmouth Park this year expectedly dropped after what appears to be a one-time "Elite Meet" last year, but average daily figures were still much higher than those recorded for the comparable 2009 meet.
First-Day Cup Attendance and Handle Slide
The Friday card had declines in attendance and handle coming off a record year in 2010 at Churchill Downs.
Keeneland Fall Meet Bucks National Trends
Keeneland overcame national trends during its 75th anniversary meet with a 9.3% gain in all-sources pari-mutuel handle on live races and an all-time attendance record for one meet.
Shutdown Hurts Canterbury, But Business Good
Canterbury Park officials said overall business numbers for the Minnesota track's 2011 meet were "encouraging" in the face of 20 lost days caused by a state government shutdown.
Del Mar Attendance, Handle Down Slightly
Del Mar, California's summer boutique race meet, saw a slight decrease in attendance and a more significant slide in handle for its 37-day meeting that concluded Sept. 7.
Travers Day Numbers Down Slightly From 2010
Attendance and pari-mutuel handle were off slightly for the Aug. 27 Travers Stakes (gr. I) program at Saratoga as Hurricane Irene made its way up the East Coast.
After 28 Days, Saratoga Numbers Still Solid
Ontrack business at the current Saratoga meet after 28 days continues to run ahead of comparable figures for 2010, the New York Racing Association reported Aug. 22 as the fifth week of the meet ended.
Upward Business Trends Continue at Saratoga
Attendance and handle at Saratoga continue to post increases compared with 2010 through the second week of the meet, or 10 days, according to the New York Racing Association.
Spa Attendance, Handle Open Higher
New York Racing Association reported that attendance for the first four days of its Saratoga meeting was up 2%, while all-sources handle rose 10%.
Lone Star: Attendance Up, Overall Handle Down
Lone Star Park ended its 2011 meet July 10 with gains in daily average attendance and purses but an overall decline in pari-mutuel handle.
Churchill Downs Has Positive Spring Meet
Two purse increases and continued success with a night racing program highlighted the 38-day spring meet.
Preakness: Attendance Up, Total Handle Down
Pimlico Race Course reported its sixth-largest attendance and seventh-largest pari-mutuel handle for the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) program held May 21.
Monmouth Stats: Up From 2009, Down From 2010
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority officials said they were pleased with the numbers for opening weekend -- when compared with 2009 statistics and not those recorded last year for the "$50 million elite meet."
Churchill: Record Attendance for KY Derby
Churchill Downs announced record attendance of 164,858 for the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) program.
Purses Up at Oaklawn; Total Handle Declines
Oaklawn Park reported increases in attendance, pari-mutuel handle, and purses for its 2011 meet, which was impacted early on by weather-related cancellations.
Business Strong Early in Keeneland Meet
Keeneland reported business gains for the first three days of its spring meet, including record attendance for a three-day period.
Gulfstream Sets Florida Derby Weekend Records
Gulfstream Park's combined pari-mutuel handle the weekend of April 2-3 was $33.6 million, shattering the previous weekend record set last year in Gulfstream's new building by 29%.
Brisk Business as Hong Kong Season Begins
The Hong Kong Jockey Club kicked off its 2011 racing season Feb. 5 with impressive business numbers.
Want New Fans? Make It Simple By Gary Popoli
Racing is risking the loss of fans by complicating the core purpose of attendance, which is betting. Read Blog
Gulfstream: Total Handle Up 17.2% Thus Far
Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino reported strong gains in business for the first five days of its 2011 meet, which began Jan. 5. Handle thus far is up 17.2% in total.
Breeders' Cup Bucks Trend With Handle Growth
Total handle -- including money wagered through a non-pari-mutuel betting exchange -- on the 2010 Breeders' Cup World Championships could approach $200 million, according to figures released by Breeders' Cup.
Most Averages Up at Scaled-Down Retama Meet
A greatly scaled-down meet offered fewer opportunities for horsemen but generated on-site gains at Retama Park, which wrapped up its live meet Oct. 23.
Through Eight Days, Keeneland Reports Gains
Through the first eight days of its fall meet, Keeneland reported solid increases in ontrack attendance and pari-mutuel handle, and steady all-sources wagering.
Handle, Attendance Rise for Travers Stakes
The attendance increased 33.7% from a year ago to 45,764.
Total Saratoga Handle Close to 2009 Figure
Total wagering remained close to last year's comparable figure while attendance and ontrack handle inched upward despite two rainy days through the fourth full week of racing at Saratoga.
Del Mar: Attendance Up, Handle Down a Bit
Del Mar reported an increase in average daily attendance and decrease in average daily handle for the first five weeks of its 2010 meet.
Belmont Ontrack Wagering Down 15.6% from 2009
An ontrack crowd of 45,243 wagered $7,598,840 on Belmont Stakes Day races, a 15.6% decrease from $8,998,630 in 2009.
Attendance Jumps, Handle Drops for Preakness
Attendance was up but total handle was down for this year's Preakness Stakes (gr. I) program at Pimlico Race Course May 15.
Handle, Attendance Increase on 'Susan' Day
Pimlico Race Course reported solid business figures for its May 14 program, which featured the grade II Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and promotions tied to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure program.
Derby/Oaks Handle Increases Across the Board
Despite inch upon inch of rain and a weather forecast that could have chased away patrons, the May 1 Derby more than held its own. Handle was up across the board.
Atlantic City Beats Odds, Posts Big Gains
Atlantic City Race Course ended its six-day meet April 24 with encouraging gains in a critical year for Thoroughbred racing in New Jersey.
Nordic Truce Still Perfect After Transylvania
Ammerland Stud's Nordic Truce took advantage of a strong speed duel to go three-for-three in his career in the $100,000 Transylvania Stakes (gr. IIIT) for 3-year-olds April 2, opening day of the Keeneland spring meet.
Oak Tree Handle, Attendance Decline
The Oak Tree Racing Association, which for the second year in a row hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships, reported double-digit declines in attendance and handle during the 31-day meet at Santa Anita Park that ended Nov. 8.
BC Attendance Up, Total Handle Slips
Attendance for the two-day event increased 11%, while the overall handle slipped 7% largely because two less races were run compared with 2008. On-track handle grew 3% compared with a year ago.
Breeders' Cup Attendance, Handle Increase
Breeders' Cup announced that the first of the two days of this year's World Championships, Nov. 6 at Santa Anita, showed an increase in attendance and handle.
Saratoga Attendance, Handle Down Slightly
Attendance and handle turned down fractionally for the first time during the 2009 Saratoga Race Course meet after two inches of rain Aug. 28 and 29 lowered attendance on Shadwell Travers (gr. I) Day and forced seven of the weekend's 11 carded turf races off the turf. Attendance was down 1.6%, on-track handle down 1.6%, and all-sources handle down 2.8% from 2008 totals through week five.
Business Strong During First Week at Spa
The first five days of the Saratoga meet showed strength from a business and racing standpoint, with gains in on-track attendance and pari-mutuel, and total handle.
Saratoga Opening Day Way Up
On-track and all-sources handle were up significantly over 2008 totals as Saratoga Race Course opened its 141st season July 29.
Del Mar Opening Week On-Track Business Up
Del Mar officials announced that figures for the Southern California track's first week of its summer meet was up in both on-track attendance and on-track handle.
Preakness Yields Bountiful Handle Increases
Wagering was up on several segments of the Preakness day card, according to data released May 18 by Maryland Jockey Club officials, fueled in part by the showdown between Kentucky Derby Presented By Yum! Brands (gr. I) winner Mine That Bird and Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) victress Rachel Alexandra.
Kentucky Derby Total Handle Declines 5.3%
Total wagering from all sources on the 13-race Kentucky Derby card May 2 at Churchill Downs was $155,969,770, a decline of 5.3% from the $164,668,176 wagered a year earlier on 12 races, the track has reported.
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