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Economic Indicators: Month-To-Month Wagering Numbers Fairly Steady In June

Equibase, LLC released its sixth monthly report of 2021 on Economic Indicators in Thoroughbred Racing on Tuesday, July 6. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Equibase has been providing monthly 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.

The total U.S. wagering for June of 2021 was nearly even with that of June 2019, despite a 12.60 percent drop in races held. In addition, June of 2019 had five weekends of racing, while June of 2021 only had four; wagering is typically much higher on weekends than on weekdays.

Comparison to June of 2020, when racing was seriously disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, actually shows a slight decline from $998 million in 2020 to $993 million in 2021.

Year-to-date numbers for 2019 versus 2021 show that total wagering has increased by 10.67 percent, while average daily wagering is up 23.79 percent.

The first six months of 2019 showed wagering totals of $5.6 trillion, while the first six months of 2020 brought in wagering of $5.05 trillion. In 2021, the first six months have increased to show wagering totals of $6.2 trillion.

June 2021 vs. June 2020
Indicator June 2021 June 2020 % Change
Wagering on U.S. Races* $993,147,243 $998,331,984 -0.52%
U.S. Purses $103,624,634 $69,469,595 +49.17%
U.S. Race Days 437 300 +45.67%
U.S. Races 3,413 2,485 +37.34%
U.S. Starts 23,870 20,146 +18.49%
Average Field Size 6.99 8.11 -13.73%
Average Wagering Per Race Day $2,272,648 $3,327,773 -31.71%
Average Purses Per Race Day $237,127 $231,565 +2.40%
2nd QTR 2021 vs. 2nd QTR 2020
Indicator 2nd QTR 2021 2nd QTR 2020 % Change
Wagering on U.S. Races* $3,511,798,209 $2,545,997,500 +37.93%
U.S. Purses $299,952,725 $118,940,997 +152.19%
U.S. Race Days 1,115 508 +119.49%
U.S. Races 9,090 4,290 +111.89%
U.S. Starts 65,092 36,101 +80.31%
Average Field Size 7.16 8.42 -14.91%
Average Wagering Per Race Day $3,149,595 $5,011,806 -37.16%
Average Purses Per Race Day $269,016 $234,136 +14.90%
YTD 2021 vs. YTD 2020
Indicator YTD 2021 YTD 2020 % Change
Wagering on U.S. Races* $6,277,894,486 $5,054,526,907 +24.20%
U.S. Purses $514,950,882 $324,168,648 +58.85%
U.S. Race Days 1,881 1,301 +44.58%
U.S. Races 15,792 10,906 +44.80%
U.S. Starts 117,303 88,074 +33.19%
Average Field Size 7.43 8.08 -8.02%
Average Wagering Per Race Day $3,337,530 $3,885,109 -14.09%
Average Purses Per Race Day $273,764 $249,169 +9.87%

 

2019 Comparisons:

June 2021 vs. June 2019
Indicator June 2021 June 2019 % Change
Wagering on U.S. Races* $993,147,243 $990,923,384 +0.22%
U.S. Purses $103,624,634 $115,194,834 -10.04%
U.S. Race Days 437 499 -12.42%
U.S. Races 3,413 3,905 -12.60%
U.S. Starts 23,870 27,726 -13.91%
Average Field Size 6.99 7.10 -1.50%
Average Wagering Per Race Day $2,272,648 $1,985,818 +14.44%
Average Purses Per Race Day $237,127 $230,851 +2.72%
2nd QTR 2021 vs. 2nd QTR 2019
Indicator 2nd QTR 2021 2nd QTR 2019 % Change
Wagering on U.S. Races* $3,511,798,209 $3,137,805,499 +11.92%
U.S. Purses $299,952,725 $316,882,492 -5.34%
U.S. Race Days 1,115 1,260 -11.51%
U.S. Races 9,090 10,167 -10.59%
U.S. Starts 65,092 73,409 -11.33%
Average Field Size 7.16 7.22 -0.82%
Average Wagering Per Race Day $3,149,595 $2,490,322 +26.47%
Average Purses Per Race Day $269,016 $251,494 +6.97%
YTD 2021 vs. YTD 2019
Indicator YTD 2021 YTD 2019 % Change
Wagering on U.S. Races* $6,277,894,486 $5,672,774,271 +10.67%
U.S. Purses $514,950,882 $544,002,132 -5.34%
U.S. Race Days 1,881 2,104 -10.60%
U.S. Races 15,792 17,457 -9.54%
U.S. Starts 117,303 130,239 -9.93%
Average Field Size 7.43 7.46 -0.44%
Average Wagering Per Race Day $3,337,530 $2,696,185 +23.79%
Average Purses Per Race Day $273,764 $258,556 +5.88%

* Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.

 

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National Museum Of Racing And Hall Of Fame Announces Special Summer Exhibits

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame will feature several new and returning special exhibitions this summer for the upcoming Saratoga racing season. All summer exhibitions will debut on Thursday, July 1.

New Exhibitions 

Muybridge and Motion: Selections from the Tang Teaching Museum Collection

(On display in the Link Gallery through Jan. 2, 2022)

This exhibition features a series of groundbreaking animal locomotion photographic studies by English photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830 – 1904) from the Tang Teaching Museum collection and paintings by American artist Henry Stull (1851 – 1913) from the National Museum of Racing collection. 

Exhibited together, these works from two separate museum collections illustrate how the technological advancements in photography made by Muybridge forever changed the way motion is depicted and understood, particularly in the field of equine art. Muybridge and Motion is part of All Together Now, a regional collection-sharing project organized by The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation. For the duration of this exhibition, the Museum will offer complimentary admission to any visitor with a Skidmore College ID.

'Chasing Summer: The Art of Steeplechase

(On display in the von Stade Gallery through Sept. 30)

This year's fine art exhibition celebrates the Steeplechase Hall of Fame induction year with 31 works of steeplechasing art by British and American sporting artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. 'Chasing Summer also celebrates the return of 13 works from the collection that were previously on loan and have not been exhibited at the Museum in decades. Artists represented in this exhibition include Henry Alken, Samuel Henry Alken, Ann Collins, W. Smithson Broadhead, Paul Brown, June Harrah, Sir Alfred J. Munnings, Frederic Remington, Henry Stull, Franklin Brooke Voss, Eleanor Iselin Wade, and Charles Morris Young, among others.

New Exhibit Updates and Ongoing Exhibitions 

Triple Crown Gallery

The Triple Crown Gallery features text panels and artifacts related to Triple Crown history and an interactive exhibit that allows visitors to learn about the 13 Triple Crown winners through historic race footage and photographs. Renovated in recent years to include America's 12th Triple Crown winner and 2021 Hall of Fame inductee, American Pharoah, additional gallery updates were added in 2019 to honor the most recent Triple Crown winner, Justify. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Assault's Triple Crown sweep of 1946. In honor of this milestone anniversary year, artifacts on loan from King Ranch Archives — including race-worn silks and photographs — will be featured in this gallery through 2022. 

Edward P. Evans Gallery

The Edward P. Evans Gallery allows the Museum to showcase more of the treasures from its diverse permanent collection and honor the legacy of Mr. Evans and his passion for the sport of thoroughbred racing. Current featured exhibits include: Selections from the Edward P. Evans Trophy Collection, The Triple Crown, Selections from the James E. “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons Collection, The Legacy of Man o' War, The Grand National, Tiffany & Co. in the National Museum of Racing Collection, and A Salute to Hollywood Park. New for 2021, Fifty Years Ago, an exhibit highlighting the racing achievements of 1971 and showcasing trophies won by Hall of Fame horses Shuvee and Riva Ridge and Eclipse Awards won by Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham and Hall of Fame Pillar of the Turf Paul Mellon.

Women in Racing

(On display in McBean Gallery through Jan. 2, 2022)

Women have been involved in the sport of thoroughbred racing in America for more than 100 years. The pioneers and trailblazers of the past paved the way for future generations of horse lovers and racing enthusiasts, allowing them to continue to break boundaries in a male-dominated sport and industry. Featuring art, photographs, and multimedia from the Museum Collection and on loan, this special exhibition honors the women involved in every aspect of thoroughbred racing.

Some exhibition highlights include: a timeline of firsts celebrating the milestone achievements of the pioneers of the sport, artifacts from the career of pioneering female jockey Wantha Davis, items from Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone's historic Belmont Stakes victory, the inaugural Diana Handicap trophy won by the first licensed female trainer, Mary Hirsch, artifacts and portraits relating to every woman inducted into the Hall of Fame, historic silks, and an interactive exhibit featuring race footage and short films for visitors to explore.

The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the Museum, including special events and program offerings, please call (518) 584-0400 or visit our website at www.racingmuseum.org. 

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Dr. Jeff Blea Takes Over As California Horse Racing Board’s Equine Medical Director

Dr. Jeff Blea will assume the responsibilities of Equine Medical Director for the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) on July 1, replacing Dr. Rick Arthur, who retires June 30 after serving 15 years as EMD.

In addition to advising the Board on matters pertaining to equine health and welfare, Dr. Blea will help oversee the CHRB's drug testing program, work with investigators on medication violations, liaise with those peers directing programs at the University of California, Davis, including the Postmortem Program, and work with Official Veterinarians in their oversight of practicing veterinarians.

Dr. Blea is perfectly positioned to assume this vital role. He was a practicing veterinarian on the Southern California thoroughbred circuit for 28 years, and during that time he demonstrated an interest in improving horse racing, focusing primarily on equine health and welfare, as evidenced by his leadership nationally with the American Association of Equine Practitioners and regionally with the Southern California Equine Foundation. He served as a director of the Dolly Green Research Foundation from 1999 to 2015. The list of the organizations and programs he has served is long and admirable.

Originally Dr. Blea hoped to be a jockey, but an accident cut short that career, which led him into veterinary medicine.

“As it turned out, I consider myself a better vet than I would have been a rider,” he said pragmatically. “I studied at Colorado State University. While there, I met people who were interested in organized veterinary medicine. I was mentored by some incredible people who were progressive, not only in what veterinary medicine should, be but also in what horse racing should be.

“When I came to California, I met Dr. Arthur and it really opened my eyes relative to the horse racing industry and the role of veterinary medicine. This led to a greater understanding of what the racing industry was and what it should be…where it needed to be. I realized I could take my practical background and blend it with my scientific knowledge to make a greater impact on improving care of the horse in particular and improving horse racing in general.

“When Rick announced his pending retirement a few years ago, he urged me to apply,” Dr. Blea continued. “Others did as well. Initially I resisted. I was quite happy practicing veterinary medicine. Mostly out of curiosity I applied. During the long interview process, I began to realize that the role of EMD was much more than I had appreciated. This led to a greater understanding of the significance of the EMD, and so by the end of the process I realized this job was something I wanted to do if offered the opportunity.”

Dr. Blea was chosen from a strong field of well-qualified applicants. The EMD position they all sought is significantly different than the one Dr. Arthur found when he accepted the job 15 years ago. Dr. Arthur directed more centralized oversight in a number of areas under the general responsibility of the EMD.

CHRB Chairman Greg Ferraro said during the June meeting, ““During the last 15 years, Dr. Arthur has brought our medical program and our health and safety program light-years ahead of where it was when he started. We truly appreciate what you've done.”

Dr. Arthur expressed full confidence in his replacement. “I know Dr. Blea very well,” said Dr. Arthur. “He understands the challenges going forward and has the background, knowledge, and tenacity to do the job.”

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Valued Notion Wins Stakes Debut In Ben’s Cat

Valued Notion made his stakes debut a memorable one for owner Hillwood Stable LLC and trainer Rodney Jenkins when he led gate-to-wire under jockey Xavier Perez to win the $75,000 Ben's Cat by two lengths over Air Token. Oldies But Goodies checked in third while favored Hemp, who broke slowly, finished fourth.

Valued Notion, a lightly raced 4-year-old gelded son of Great Notion, covered the 5 furlongs in :58.19 over the main track after the races were taken off the turf.

Breaking from post 10, Valued Notion broke out of the gate quickly and was chased from the outside by longshot Xmasinthecity past an opening quarter in :22.22 and a half in :45.47. But entering the stretch, Perez put away Xmasinthecity and held off the remainder of his opponents.

“He was in contention right away. I was just trying to let the 12 [Xmasinthecity] go ahead of me,” Perez said. “I watched a couple of his races and he kind of slowed down at the end. As soon as I put my horse against the bit, he took me to the front and I just cruised. He was doing it so comfortable and I just let him do it himself until we got to the top of the lane.”

Valued Notion, who broke his maiden at third asking in February, followed up that victory with an allowance victory before finishing a tired fourth in his last start April 9.

Bred, owned and trained by Hall of Fame horseman King Leatherbury, Ben's Cat won 32 of 63 career races, 26 stakes, and more than $2.6 million in purses from 2010 to 2017. A four-time Maryland-bred Horse of the Year, Ben's Cat died July 18, 2017 from complications following colic surgery.

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