Final Saratoga Race Course Attendance And Wagering Totals

The 40-day meet at the Saratoga Race Course wrapped up on Monday and the final attendance and wagering numbers are in.

On-track wagering posted strong gains compared to 2010 totals, daily average attendance was up marginally, and total attendance and all-sources handle dropped slightly according to The New York Racing Association (NYRA).

Total attendance for the meet (39 days with racing cancelled on Sunday, August 28 due to Hurricane Irene) was 871,772, down 0.7% from 878,284 for the 40-day meet in 2010. Daily average attendance of 22,353, however, was up 1.8% from 21,957 in 2010.

On-track handle totaled $121,101,664, up 5.6% from $114,693,168 last year. Daily average on-track handle was $3,105,171, up 8.3% from $2,867,329 in 2010.

All-sources handle, which includes wagers on Saratoga races both on-track and from simulcast outlets nationwide, was $526,251,818, down 4.6% from $551,660,726 in 2010. Daily average all-sources handle was $13,493,636, down just 2.2% from $13,791,518 last year.

There were 397 races run this year over 39 days, compared to 395 over 40 days in 2010. Average betting interests per race were 8.2 (3,269 total) compared to 8.4 (3,314 total) in 2010. Turf races totaled 158 with 41 taken off the turf, compared to 187 on and 24 off in 2010.