Attendance And Handle Up On Saratoga Opening Day

On Friday, the 143rd Saratoga Race Course season kicked off and it proved to be a big day for the New York Racing Association (NYRA).

Attendance, on-track handle, and total handle all posted gains over the 2010 Opening Day totals.

Friday’s attendance of 25,155 was up 8.5% from last year’s rain-soaked 23,178.

On-track handle for the 10-race Saratoga card totaled $3,551,745, a 13.4% increase over $3,130,756 on Opening Day 2010.

Wagering at the downstate Belmont Café and Aqueduct Racetrack simulcast facilities was $407,383, resulting in a combined on-track handle of $3,959,128, up 18.5 percent from $3,341,842 last year.

All-sources handle, which includes wagers on Saratoga races both on-track and from simulcast outlets nationwide, was $15,871,449, up 18.9 percent from $13,349,050 in 2010.