Total Wagering Now Posts Slight Gain Compared to Races Run

Attendance and handle rebounded sharply following a weekend of glorious weather and spectacular racing, according to statistics through five full weeks at Saratoga released today by the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA).

On-track attendance and handle, which were each down 10.7 percent after Week 3, are now off only 5.3 and 6.0 percent, respectively, from 2009 figures while total wagering on Saratoga nationwide is down only 1.7 percent due largely to a 2.6 percent decrease in races run (294 vs. 302).

“We’re thrilled with the enthusiastic response from our customers this weekend,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward.  “We’re pointing to a big finish with more great weather, strong midweek racing cards, Saturday’s Woodward and Forego, and our premiere stakes for two-year-olds, the Spinaway and the Three Chimneys Hopeful, closing out the meet on Sunday and Monday.”

• Attendance for the five full weeks of the meet (30 days, Days 5 through 34) was 667,171, down 5.3 percent from 704,423 for the first 30 days of the 2009 meet, with a daily average of 22,239 compared to 23,481.  (*See note on attendance below.)

• On-track handle for the four weeks totaled $88,817,179, down 6.0 percent from $94,468,366 for 2009’s first five weeks, with a daily average of $2,960,573 compared to $3,148,946.

• All-sources handle (which combines wagers on Saratoga races both on-track and from simulcast outlets nationwide) for the five weeks was $408,145,326, down 1.7 percent from $415,187,788 in 2009, with a daily average of $13,604,844 compared to $13,839,593.

Daily average attendance for the full 34 days of the meet (including the four extra days, July 23-26) is 21,754, average on-track handle is $2,908,825, and average all-sources handle is $13,514,208.  Average betting interests per race for the meet are 8.33 compared to 8.28 in 2009 with 150 turf races and 24 taken off the turf.

* Note: Attendance figures for Giveaway Days include patrons who pay multiple admissions to obtain more than one giveaway item, either at the track entrance or at the multiple admissions area inside the track.  There have been three Giveaway Days in 2010 and three through the first four weeks of the 2009 meet.