Recent trends continued in the month of June, as wagering on U.S. Thoroughbred racing decreased slightly year over year while purses continued to rise, according to the Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators released Tuesday by Equibase. Q2 of 2022 also reflected the same trends compared to last year's second quarter.
The post Wagering & Purse Trends Continue in June appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.
With nine fewer race days from June of 2021, wagering on U.S. races fell slightly in June as the average field size continued to show declines. The average field size in U.S. races dropped below 7 starters per race for the first time this year in May (6.86), and that number remained below 7 through June, at 6.93.
Year-end average field size in 2021 was an all-time low of 7.38, and with a busy summer schedule that have more tracks operating in the months ahead, the year-end average for 2022 is almost certain to be lower by year's end. The last year field size exceeded 8 starters per race was 2011.
Pari-mutuel wagering experts consider field size to be a key factor in betting volume.
The $18 million drop in total monthly wagers represented a decline of 1.77 percent, and included significant declines on the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival with small field sizes prevailing in the day's graded stakes races; there were 100 runners on the 13-race card. According to Equibase charts, the total handle on the Belmont Stakes card was $98.77 million in 2022, compared to $111.19 million in 2021.
One metric that has increased significantly from 2021 is purse money. Purses for the month of June were up by 11 percent from 2021, slightly lower than the 14 percent year to date jump in purses. With year to date wagering up by just two tenths of one percent, it's obvious the purse increases are coming from alternative gaming or other sources.
| June 2022 vs. June 2021 | |||
| Indicator | June 2022 | June 2021 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $974,882,088 | $992,490,953 | -1.77% |
| U.S. Purses | $115,369,860 | $103,776,044 | +11.17% |
| U.S. Race Days | 428 | 437 | -2.06% |
| U.S. Races | 3,355 | 3,413 | -1.70% |
| U.S. Starts | 23,258 | 23,870 | -2.56% |
| Average Field Size | 6.93 | 6.99 | -0.88% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $2,277,762 | $2,271,146 | +0.29% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $269,556 | $237,474 | +13.51% |
| 2nd QTR 2022 vs. 2nd QTR 2021 | |||
| Indicator | 2nd QTR 2022 | 2nd QTR 2021 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $3,468,677,261 | $3,511,094,668 | -1.21% |
| U.S. Purses | $343,891,528 | $300,153,535 | +14.57% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,122 | 1,115 | +0.63% |
| U.S. Races | 9,102 | 9,090 | +0.13% |
| U.S. Starts | 63,868 | 65,092 | -1.88% |
| Average Field Size | 7.02 | 7.16 | -2.01% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,091,513 | $3,148,964 | -1.82% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $306,499 | $269,196 | +13.86% |
| YTD 2022 vs. YTD 2021 | |||
| Indicator | YTD 2022 | YTD 2021 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $6,265,037,551 | $6,277,261,005 | -0.19% |
| U.S. Purses | $588,644,316 | $515,151,692 | +14.27% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,929 | 1,881 | +2.55% |
| U.S. Races | 15,870 | 15,792 | +0.49% |
| U.S. Starts | 115,014 | 117,303 | -1.95% |
| Average Field Size | 7.25 | 7.43 | -2.43% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,247,816 | $3,337,194 | -2.68% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $305,155 | $273,871 | +11.42% |
2020 Comparisons:
| June 2022 vs. June 2020 | |||
| Indicator | June 2022 | June 2020 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $974,882,088 | $998,331,984 | -2.35% |
| U.S. Purses | $115,369,860 | $69,469,595 | +66.07% |
| U.S. Race Days | 428 | 300 | +42.67% |
| U.S. Races | 3,355 | 2,485 | +35.01% |
| U.S. Starts | 23,258 | 20,146 | +15.45% |
| Average Field Size | 6.93 | 8.11 | -14.49% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $2,277,762 | $3,327,773 | -31.55% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $269,556 | $231,565 | +16.41% |
| 2nd QTR 2022 vs. 2nd QTR 2020 | |||
| Indicator | 2nd QTR 2022 | 2nd QTR 2020 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $3,468,677,261 | $2,545,997,500 | +36.24% |
| U.S. Purses | $343,891,528 | $118,940,997 | +189.13% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,122 | 508 | +120.87% |
| U.S. Races | 9,102 | 4,290 | +112.17% |
| U.S. Starts | 63,868 | 36,101 | +76.91% |
| Average Field Size | 7.02 | 8.42 | -16.62% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,091,513 | $5,011,806 | -38.32% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $306,499 | $234,136 | +30.91% |
| YTD 2022 vs. YTD 2020 | |||
| Indicator | YTD 2022 | YTD 2020 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $6,265,037,551 | $5,054,526,907 | +23.95% |
| U.S. Purses | $588,644,316 | $324,168,648 | +81.59% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,929 | 1,301 | +48.27% |
| U.S. Races | 15,870 | 10,906 | +45.52% |
| U.S. Starts | 115,014 | 88,074 | +30.59% |
| Average Field Size | 7.25 | 8.08 | -10.26% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,247,816 | $3,885,109 | -16.40% |
2019 Comparisons:
| June 2022 vs. June 2019 | |||||
| Indicator | June 2022 | June 2019 | % Change | ||
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $974,882,088 | $990,923,384 | -1.62% | ||
| U.S. Purses | $115,369,860 | $115,194,834 | +0.15% | ||
| U.S. Race Days | 428 | 499 | -14.23% | ||
| U.S. Races | 3,355 | 3,905 | -14.08% | ||
| U.S. Starts | 23,258 | 27,726 | -16.11% | ||
| Average Field Size | 6.93 | 7.10 | -2.36% | ||
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $2,277,762 | $1,985,818 | +14.70% | ||
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $269,556 | $230,851 | +16.77% | ||
| 2nd QTR 2022 vs. 2nd QTR 2019 | |||||
| Indicator | 2nd QTR 2022 | 2nd QTR 2019 | % Change | ||
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $3,468,677,261 | $3,137,805,499 | +10.54% | ||
| U.S. Purses | $343,891,528 | $316,882,492 | +8.52% | ||
| U.S. Race Days | 1,122 | 1,260 | -10.95% | ||
| U.S. Races | 9,102 | 10,167 | -10.48% | ||
| U.S. Starts | 63,868 | 73,409 | -13.00% | ||
| Average Field Size | 7.02 | 7.22 | -2.82% | ||
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,091,513 | $2,490,322 | +24.14% | ||
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $306,499 | $251,494 | +21.87% | ||
| YTD 2022 vs. YTD 2019 | |||
| Indicator | YTD 2022 | YTD 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $6,265,037,551 | $5,672,774,271 | +10.44% |
| U.S. Purses | $588,644,316 | $544,002,132 | +8.21% |
| U.S. Race Days | 1,929 | 2,104 | -8.32% |
| U.S. Races | 15,870 | 17,457 | -9.09% |
| U.S. Starts | 115,014 | 130,239 | -11.69% |
| Average Field Size | 7.25 | 7.46 | -2.86% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,247,816 | $2,696,185 | +20.46% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $305,155 | $258,556 | +18.02% |
* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.
The post Economic Indicators: Wagering Down Again In June; Average Field Size Continues To Show Declines appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Amy Bowers knew she found something special when she first saw Del Mar Belle.
The bay Thoroughbred filly had raced seven times as a 3-year-old in 2018, including a win in a maiden race at Bally's Arapahoe Park, followed by an attempt against the top horses of her age in Colorado in the Encantadora Stakes.
But, with a tenth-place finish in the Encantadora, followed by a sixth-place finish in a $5,000 claiming race, it was pretty clear that Del Mar Belle wasn't on a path to match the racetrack success of her sire, Tiznow, a two-time winner of the Breeders' Cup Classic, or of her damsire, Fusaichi Pegasus, the 2000 Kentucky Derby winner.
Instead, Bowers predicted that Del Mar Belle's success would come in the equestrian sport of eventing.
“The second I met her and saw her move, I could just picture her doing the upper levels,” Bowers said. “This horse at least had the natural talent for it. You never know on the mental side until you start working with them, but I always had the long-term goal of her being an upper-level event horse.”
Horse racing fans and professionals now get exposed to eventing and other equestrian sports with more frequency. The event that has put the brightest spotlight on racehorses in equestrian sports outside of racing is the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover. While it's a competition that ultimately assesses the viability of Thoroughbreds as sporthorses in ten different equestrian disciplines, it is rooted in the fact that these Thoroughbreds are still racehorses because they must have been on the track and will only have less than a year of retraining in their respective equestrian sport before competing at the Makeover.
What the competitors at the Thoroughbred Makeover can accomplish in less than a year of training off the track is truly remarkable—from jumping three-foot courses, to elegant movements like counter canters in dressage, to freestyle routines where they're ridden bareback and bridleless. However, with all the technical aspects that are necessary to excel at eventing, show jumping, dressage, polo, or any of the other Thoroughbred Makeover disciplines, it takes more than a year to truly master them.
“It's such an amazing platform to show how versatile the Thoroughbred is, but really it's just the beginning for most horses,” Bowers said. “It's a great stepping stool and great foundation to step into bigger things.”
The future that Bowers saw in Del Mar Belle and is now realizing as the striking 16.3 hh bay mare moves into the upper levels of eventing four years after running her final career race is similar to the journey racehorse owners get to experience when they see a promising yearling at Keeneland or Fasig-Tipton and years later go to the winner's circle after a stakes victory.
Bowers bought Del Mar Belle in December 2018, four months after her final race. The filly “had just hung out in a field” during those four months, Bowers said, but when turned out in an arena Bowers got to see uphill movement and a gallop that she described as “spectacular.”
Del Mar Belle was a quick learner, as many OTTBs are. She and Bowers competed at the 2019 Thoroughbred Makeover and finished 20th of 67 in eventing. Although not in the ribbons or a finish that would make headlines, it was exactly what the filly needed.
“Really, the Makeover for her was just a great stepping stone, a great progression in her training,” Bowers said. “It was a little hard because she was young for the Makeover. She was just four at the time. So, I had to go pretty conservative with her training.”
After the Makeover, the real work began. Del Mar Belle spent most of the next year in 2020 moving up from competing at the Beginner Novice level of 2-feet-7 and the Novice level of 2-feet-11 before the Makeover to the Training level of 3-feet-3. Not only are the jumps higher, but the placement of jumps and the dressage movements are much more technical.
“I feel like in the early stages, it's all about the basics, simply giving them confidence and the ideas,” Bowers said. “[After the Makeover] she had the confidence and the ability, but now it became more about the precision and where to put her body.”
There comes a point where Thoroughbreds can no longer rely just on their natural athletic ability honed on the racetrack, which, being blunt, could get them over almost any jump below three feet from a standstill. (See “Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: Looking Forward To 2022 With Hope For Ex-Racehorses.”)
In 2022, Del Mar Belle and Bowers moved up to the Preliminary level of 3-feet-7 and what is considered the upper levels of eventing recognized by the U.S. Equestrian (USEF). They also started competing in internationally-recognized events at levels offered by the Fédération Equestre International (FEI).
“The big thing is being able to balance them at any speed and also pick any speed,” she said. “Like with your canter, at the beginning, you kind of have three canters, a slow, medium, and fast. When you get to Prelim, you should probably have about 20 different canters. I would say a really mature horse should have about 50 different canters. You should be able to get to that canter within seconds of asking for it.”
At The Event at Skyline in Utah on Kentucky Derby Weekend in 2022, Del Mar Belle and Bowers won the Preliminary level, marking their first blue ribbon in 23 events over four years. They followed that up with a first-place finish in their next event, the Spring Gulch Horse Trials in Colorado.
I announced Del Mar Belle at Bally's Arapahoe Park in 2018. After racing, she started eventing with Amy Bowers. Now, I announce the mare at horse shows as she rises to the upper levels of @USEventing. Here's a clip from her Prelim win at Skyline. More to come in @paulickreport. pic.twitter.com/T4hpHcz1kz
— Jonathan Horowitz (@jjhorowitz) June 26, 2022
Their next event will be the CCI2*-Long at The Event at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana at the end of July. The highest level of eventing is the CCI5*-Long, such as at the Kentucky Three-Day Event. So, think of their current journey as being like a baseball player moving up in the minor leagues on the way to the majors.
“We want to get back in that Rolex Arena doing a bit bigger stuff,” Bowers said.
So, while the Thoroughbred industry has embraced the concept that racehorses can go on to successful careers after racing and that the transition can happen quickly, OTTBs reaching their full potential in these new sports will take some time. If horse racing can be in it for the long run by following and celebrating the horses beyond their initial placement off the track or their first forays in a new sport at the Makeover, it will show the full scope of what racing Thoroughbreds can achieve and reveal an even bigger value that racehorses have.
The post Horowitz On OTTBs, Presented By Excel Equine: For Many Ex-Racehorses, The Makeover Is Just The First Step appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
Sam Freedman has said it would give him a huge “sense of national pride” if Artorius can become the first Australian-trained horse to win the Darley July Cup at the Moët & Chandon July Festival at Newmarket after impressing in a gallop on the July Course.
After finishing third on his first start in Britain in last month's Group One Platinum Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, the 3-year-old of Flying Artie will now bid to go two places better by giving his country a breakthrough success in the six-furlong Group One, which this year is worth a record £600,000 (about US$716,000).
With the sporting rivalry between Britain and Australia stretching far beyond the boundaries of horseracing, Freedman believes victory for the globetrotting colt, who he trains in partnership with his father Anthony, would be well received by those back home.
Artorious, who runs in the colors of China Horse Club, Newgate Stud Farm and Partners, is a winner at the top level back in Australia having claimed the Group One Neds Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield in February of last year.
The closest an Australian-trained horse has come to winning the Darley July Cup was in 2003, when Choisir finished as runner-up to Oasis Dream.
Freedman said: “There is that rivalry between Australia and England but it's healthy and good for racing in general to have competition like this.
“There would definitely be a sense of national pride if he won, particularly as there will be a huge Australian contingency coming over for the week of the sales and races.
“This horse really sums up Australian racing as he was purchased for not a lot of money (120,000 Australian dollars, around US$80,500). We syndicated him among stable clients and he then won a big race and a stud got involved. He sums up how a horse can change people's lives.
“There are people that have come over and it is the first horse they have owned so that gives you an added sense of national pride as you feel like you want him to perform well for the whole stable and the country.
“If he could win a Group One in both hemispheres it would look good on his CV.”
In order to acquaint himself with his next assignment Artorius was put through his paces by his big-race rider Jamie Spencer in a four-furlong spin at the July Course today (Friday 1st July) ahead of his return to the track on Saturday week.
Working alongside the Harry Eustace-trained Ancient Times, Artorius finished upsides his gallops companion, much to the delight of Freedman.
The trainer said: “The work went really well. They just went four furlongs and quickened up the last 400 yards. He really started to hit top gear the last 100 yards.
“A really good part of his attitude is that he never overdoes it and he conserves his energy. That was as good as I've seen him work for a while. He seemed to handle the track well enough.”
Reflecting on his performance at the Royal meeting, Freedman was delighted with the effort which he believes not only justifies the horse staying on for the Darley July Cup but one that offers encouragement of even better to come.
Freedman, who spent two years working in Newmarket with trainer Roger Varian, said: “He put a lot into the race at Ascot and lost a little bit of weight but he put it back on a couple of days later. He bounced out of it well and he seems to be thriving at the moment.
“Ascot was one of those things. He got that little check at the 75-metre mark and it just halted his momentum. He did a very good job to pick up again.
“We couldn't have been happier how he performed and like we said – he just needs things to go right in a field of that size. It was a brilliant ride and the horse performed very well. He just didn't get the break at the right time.
“If anything he has probably improved a tad for the run as he hadn't run since March. He is now in an established routine and we hope he can improve again on his next start.
“The stiffer the finish at Newmarket will be better for him as that is when he is doing his best work and horses up on the speed are tiring.
“A slightly smaller field is probably not as ideal as I do think he does enjoying being amongst them but if they go a good tempo, which they usually do over here, then he can settle and finish off well.”
Throughout his career Artorius, who is based in Newmarket at the yard of Charlie Fellowes for his UK stay, has made a habit of starting slowly. However, Freedman feels that if anyone can get the best of him it is twice champion jockey Jamie Spencer.
He added: “What has cost him more wins is his lack of early speed and when you are slow out of the gates in Australia it becomes increasingly difficult to bridge the gap as they are largely tight, turning tracks with short straights.
“Fortunately (breaking from the gates) it is not as significant here as it is in Australia and you do get time to get into a rhythm and work into the race. He takes a bit of time to get into gear but once he hits top speed he can sustain it.
“We've been trying to change it (sharpness out the gates) for 12 months but unfortunately his biggest attribute and to his detriment is how laidback he is, however it is not something we are going to able to change now as he is an established horse.
“Jamie is the best drop out rider in the country and this horse is a drop out horse. Mark Zahra has done a lot of the prep work on him at home but we were keen to change it up a little bit.
“Jamie has now had a sit on him and done a couple of little pieces of work on him so he has a good handle on the horse now so it all bodes well.
“Jamie was very complimentary last time and the first thing he said when he got off him was that he would definitely improve for this and that it might switch him on, which is something we've noticed in his training since.
“To his credit he has never run a bad race but hopefully he will get his time in the sun again in the July Cup.”
For now the focus might be on ensuring Artorius gets to the July Cup in the best shape possible but having seemingly enjoyed the experience this time Freedman admits a return trip to Britain is likely to be on the agenda in 2023.
He added: “The whole experience has been awesome and hopefully he can win the July Cup but going forward we will be looking to identify more horses to bring over here.
“He will probably come back next year for the Platinum Jubilee as a four year old as having handled all this before we know it is not going to bother him, although he would still need to be racing at a high level back in Australia to justify coming back.
“Hopefully bringing him over will result in a lot more Australians bringing horses over in the future.”
The post ‘National Pride’ At Stake As Australian-Trained Artorius Takes On Saturday’s July Cup appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
