Equibase, LLC released its monthly report on Economic Indicators in Thoroughbred Racing this Friday, Sept. 4. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Equibase is currently providing monthly reporting of its Economic Indicators Advisories. The Advisory is typically disseminated on a quarterly basis to provide key metrics used to measure racing's performance throughout the year.
Wagering on U.S. races dropped a bit in August 2020 compared to the same month in 2019, down 1.92 percent, but average daily handle continues to show year-over-year increases as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc on sports schedules. In August, average daily handle was up 13.50 percent in 2020 over the same period in 2019.
Year-to-date numbers show a similar trend, with average daily handle up 35.75 percent for the first eight months of 2020.
Since the Kentucky Derby has not yet been held, it will be interesting to see how much recovery the figure for year-to-date total wagering will make after this Saturday's Run for the Roses, even without fans in attendance. Currently, total annual wagering is down just 6.20 percent, which is already an improvement over last month's 6.96 percent difference.
| August 2020 vs. August 2019 | |||
| Indicator | August 2020 | August 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $1,154,522,663 | $1,177,165,980 | -1.92% |
| U.S. Purses | $104,515,752 | $128,293,370 | -18.53% |
| U.S. Race Days | 445 | 515 | -13.59% |
| U.S. Races | 3,607 | 4,026 | -10.41% |
| U.S. Starts | 26,964 | 28,895 | -6.68% |
| Average Field Size | 7.48 | 7.18 | +4.16% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $2,594,433 | $2,285,759 | +13.50% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $234,867 | $249,113 | -5.72% |
| YTD 2020 vs. YTD 2019 | |||
| Indicator | YTD 2020 | YTD 2019 | % Change |
| Wagering on U.S. Races* | $7,308,988,910 | $7,792,183,885 | -6.20% |
| U.S. Purses | $518,901,054 | $775,638,076 | -33.10% |
| U.S. Race Days | 2,144 | 3,103 | -30.91% |
| U.S. Races | 17,793 | 25,225 | -29.46% |
| U.S. Starts | 140,022 | 185,746 | -24.62% |
| Average Field Size | 7.87 | 7.36 | +6.87% |
| Average Wagering Per Race Day | $3,409,043 | $2,511,178 | +35.75% |
| Average Purses Per Race Day | $242,025 | $249,964 | -3.18% |
* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.
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