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Saratoga Wagering Tops $800 Million For First Time; Daily Average Exceeds $20 Million

For the first time in its history, the 40-day summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., generated all-sources wagering handle of more than $800 million, the New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) announced.

Having established the new record on Wednesday, Sept. 1, with five racing days remaining in the season, the 2021 summer meet ended with all-sources handle of $815,508,063, a 15.6 percent increase over the prior record of $705,343,949 set in 2019.

With paid attendance totaling 1,046,478, and excluding 2020 when fans were not permitted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2021 marked the sixth consecutive season of more than 1 million in paid attendance at Saratoga Race Course. Average daily attendance during the 40-day meet was 26,162.

“Thanks to the energy, enthusiasm and support of the best fans in horse racing, the 2021 summer meet at Saratoga Race Course has been a tremendous success,” said NYRA President and CEO Dave O'Rourke. “This has been a summer reunion like never before, and we're especially pleased that the return of fans has translated into strong business for downtown Saratoga Springs and the entire Capital Region community. The summer meet at Saratoga is as strong as at any point in its storied history.”

Average daily handle over the 40-day meet was $20,387,702, which is the first time that average daily handle has eclipsed $20 million.

Pari-mutuel wagering funds the majority of the NYRA purse account, which directly supports horsemen competing at Saratoga Race Course, Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack, as well as the hundreds of businesses reliant on a thriving thoroughbred racing industry. Beyond the purse account, these funds are invested in capital projects to improve and modernize NYRA facilities while prioritizing safety and integrity.

Among the many highlights of the 2021 Saratoga meet:

Klaravich Stables led all owners with 21 wins; Chad Brown claimed the H. Allen Jerkens training title with 41 wins; and jockey Luis Saez captured the Angel Cordero Jr. riding title with 64 wins.
The 2021 meet played host to a significant milestone as Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen became the all-time winningest thoroughbred trainer in North America when he won the 9,446th race of his career on Whitney Day, Saturday, August 7.
Nearly 1.1 million viewers tuned in across the country to watch Essential Quality capture the 152nd edition of the Runhappy Travers on FOX, marking the event's highest ratings since 2015 when Triple Crown champion American Pharoah made his one and only appearance at Saratoga. An audience of 1,089,000 watched this summer's Runhappy Travers, which was broadcast on FOX for the third consecutive year.
Brad Cox became just the third trainer in history to capture the Whitney and Runhappy Travers in the same summer with two different horses (Knicks Go and Essential Quality).
NYRA was honored to welcome New York Governor Kathy Hochul to Saratoga Race Course on Runhappy Travers Day, where she presented the Man o' War Cup to the connections of Essential Quality.
Fans and viewers were treated to more than 220 hours of live programming during Saratoga Live which aired on the networks of FOX Sports, the show's most extensive and comprehensive coverage since its introduction in 2016.
In addition to daily national coverage on FOX Sports, the 2021 season welcomed the addition of SNY as a regional broadcast partner for Saratoga Live.
A charitable program under NYRA's stewardship requires every owner competing at NYRA racetracks to donate $10 per start to the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA), which funds the aftercare organizations that provide homes for retired racehorses. As a result of the 3,253 starts recorded during the 2021 meet, TAA will receive a $32,530 donation. In addition, New York's horsemen donate 1.5 percent of the purchase price of every horse claimed at a NYRA track to Take the Lead (TTL) and the TAA. Claiming activity during the 2021 summer meet will result in a donation of $18,690 to TAA and TTL.
NYRA paid tribute to the work of frontline and essential workers with a day dedicated to honoring health care heroes and first responders. Additionally, the season-long NYRA Hometown Hero program, held in partnership with CDPHP, honored those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic, including registered nurses, law enforcement officers and vaccine site officials.
A total of 416 races were run this summer, including 242 on dirt and 174 on the turf. 45 races were taken off the turf due to inclement weather as Saratoga battled historic rainfall throughout the summer. Average field size was 7.7. In 2020, 409 races were run, including 226 on dirt and 183 on the turf. A total of 32 races were taken off the turf. Average field size was 7.4.
NYRA continued to invest in Saratoga as a world-class sporting venue with the debut of two new hospitality areas this season: the Spa Verandas at the Top of The Stretch, which replaced the former reserved picnic area with six partially-covered sections; and the Tailgate at the Turn, offering a drive-up picnic section along the first turn. NYRA also expanded the popular Cutwater Stretch with the addition of 15 new lounge boxes to Section T of the Grandstand.

As a not-for-profit organization, NYRA's mission is to strengthen and grow the sport of thoroughbred racing in New York state, which drives an industry responsible for 19,000 jobs and $3 billion in annual economic impact, including $240 million alone in the Capital Region during the Saratoga summer meet.

The 28-day fall meet at Belmont Park, featuring 47 stakes worth $11.15 million in purses, will open on Thursday, September 16 and continue through Sunday, October 31.

For more information, visit NYRA.com.

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With Five Days Left In Meet, Saratoga Sets New Handle Record

At the completion of Wednesday's card, all-sources handle for the Saratoga meet stood at $709,437,410, which was enough to set an all-time handle mark for the historic race meet. After Wednesday, there were still five days left to the meet, which means the final handle number will shatter all records.

The previous handle record was set in 2019, when $705,343,949 was wagered. With fans not allowed on-track last year due to COVID-19 concerns, the 2020 handle came in at $702.5 million.

“The record-breaking handle numbers reflect the quality of racing here at Saratoga Race Course and the excellence of the summer meet, where all-sources handle has surpassed $700 million for three consecutive years,” said NYRA CEO and President David O'Rourke. “The business of Saratoga is stronger than at any point in its history, and that would simply not be possible without the support of the horseplayers and the hard work and dedication of the horsemen here in New York.

“Ultimately, these wagering dollars are critically important to sustain a robust purse account that supports hundreds of small businesses and the 19,000 good paying jobs that are directly tied to Thoroughbred racing. Beyond that, the enthusiasm that bettors have for Saratoga allows NYRA to invest in the kind of capital-improvement projects that are so important to the future of the sport. Whether it's a project like the renovation of the Oklahoma Training Track this year, or a frontside improvement like the construction of the 1863 Club, NYRA is committed to investing in our facilities for the betterment of the sport in New York and the industry as a whole. What's also clear is that Saratoga Live and our partnership with FOX Sports has been incredibly effective in reaching existing fans and developing new interest in the sport.”

O'Rourke noted that the return of the fans for this year's meet undoubtedly played a role in not just the robust handle figures, but the economic well being of the Saratoga community.

“Beyond the gates of Saratoga Race Course, the return of fans this summer has been critically important for downtown Saratoga Springs and the entire Capital Region business,” he said. “For the sixth consecutive year, we will eclipse one million in paid attendance, and this summer will long be remembered for the return of the best fans in racing to the rightful place at Saratoga.”

The record handle was accomplished despite a number of races coming off the turf. Through the 35th day of the meet, 76 races had come off the turf. In 2020, the number was just 31.

Once again, from a handle perspective, the highlight of the meet was the GI Runhappy Travers. S. card, which accounted for $51,381,515 in handle, down just slightly from the record set in 2019 when $52,129,344 was bet. The card for the GI Whitney S. generated an all-sources record handle of $36,802,234, bettering the previous mark of $35,796,434 set in 2020.

Should business remain robust through the end of the meet, NYRA has a chance to eclipse the $800 million mark for total handle. If so, that would mean an increase of about 13% over the 2019 figures.

The post With Five Days Left In Meet, Saratoga Sets New Handle Record appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Travers Day Card Generates $51 Million In All-Sources Handle

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced that the 13-race Runhappy Travers Day card generated all-sources handle totaling $51,381,515 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

A paid crowd of 44,507 witnessed Essential Quality secure victory in the Runhappy Travers for reigning Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez. Essential Quality, owned by Godolphin, posted a final time of 2:01.96 in the 152nd running of the $1.25 million Grade 1 Runhappy Travers. With today's victory in the Runhappy Travers, Cox becomes just the third conditioner to sweep the Whitney and Travers in the same summer with two different horses.

On-track handle was $9,406,526.

NYRA was honored to welcome New York Governor Kathy Hochul to Saratoga Race Course on Saturday, where she presented the Man o' War Cup to the connections of Essential Quality. On Tuesday, August 24, Gov. Hochul made history by becoming the first female governor in New York State history.

“The New York Racing Association thanks our fans for their tremendous support today and throughout the 2021 summer meet here at historic Saratoga Race Course, and we look forward to closing out the meet with fan appreciation week,” said NYRA President & CEO Dave O'Rourke.” We would also like to thank Gov. Hochul for joining us today to witness history and present the Man o' War Cup.”

For the third consecutive year, fans nationwide watched the Runhappy Travers action unfold on the FOX Broadcast Network as part of a special 90-minute telecast. Overall, the FOX Sports family of networks broadcast 7 ½ hours of live racing action from Saratoga which included all seven graded stakes on Runhappy Travers Day.

The Runhappy Travers was the centerpiece of a card featuring six Grade 1s among seven stakes in total, including the $750,000 Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer; $600,000 Grade 1 Personal Ensign presented by Lia Infiniti; $500,000 Grade 1 Ketel One Ballerina; $600,000 Grade 1 Forego; and $500,000 Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial. Rounding out the blockbuster card was the $400,000 Grade 2 Ballston Spa.

The 2021 summer meet at historic Saratoga Race Course continues through Labor Day, Monday, September 6. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit NYRA.com.

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Spirited Debate On HISA Highlights Saratoga Conference

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY-To hear some, the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) is badly needed legislation that will right the ship for an industry that has gone badly off course when it comes to issues of horse safety, integrity and illegal drugs. To others, it is another example of big government wading into a sport where it doesn't belong, which will ultimately cause horse racing a lot more problems than it solves.

There was little middle ground Monday as the HISA issue dominated day one of the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga, which featured more than a dozen panelists tackling a number of subjects ranging from HISA to the threat of decoupling to how pari-mutuel wagering will be affected by the advent of sports betting.

The HISA debate began with a panel that included Alan Foreman, the chairman and CEO of the Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association, and Patrick Cummings, the executive director of the Thoroughbred Idea Foundation. Both spoke of a broken industry plagued by scandal and in need of reform.

“We lost the narrative,” Foreman said. “The public no longer accepted that we were doing right by our horses. We had the breakdowns at Santa Anita and then the Servis and Navarro indictments and then the betamethasone issue in the Derby. The hits kept coming. We simply can't overcome the notion that we aren't doing right by our horses, whether it's safety and welfare or medication. You have the Washington Post and the New York Times questioning why the sport is allowed to continue to operate. We have a responsibility to fix this and we've seen that we can't do it voluntarily. (HISA) is a once-in-a lifetime opportunity to fix this problem and change the narrative and to save a majestic place like Saratoga and all our other venues around the country. HISA is not perfect. But you can't let the perfect get in the way of the good.”

The counter-argument was provided by Chris Kannady, an attorney who represents the Thoroughbred Racing Association of Oklahoma, which is among a number of organizations seeking to shoot down HISA in the courts based on the argument that it is unconstitutional. With Russell Williams, the president and CEO of the United States Trotting Association, missing the conference because of travel problems, Kannady was the only panelist left for a group talk related to the legal challenges to HISA, but he had no problem getting his side's point across. Kannady brought forth a number of objections, among them how HISA, because of how it may be funded, will be a much bigger problem for horsemen racing at lesser tracks versus their counterparts in New York, Kentucky, Florida and California. It is believed that HISA will be funded by a per-start fee that must be paid any time an owner runs a horse.

“We need to have a heathy debate as to what this is going to do to the industry, and when I say industry I mean everybody, every single person,” said Kannady, who is also a member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. “Going down to the lowest level, what is involved and what is the cost to each individual person that is involved in the process? When it comes down to finding the funding, they say we will find a way. What that way is is to go to the tip of the spear, the people involved in the racing industry and tax them in order to fund this process. What that's going to do is decimate the industry, especially in some of the smaller states, like Nebraska, Louisiana, Oklahoma and West Virginia.”

Kannady concluded with a warning: “This is about us as individuals taking control of the situation and making sure our industry isn't wrecked.”

NYRA CEO and President David O'Rourke had a different take.

“Our moral obligation is to protect the horse,” he said in response to Kannady. “What tools do we have at our disposal for that? Throughout my career, this has been one of the more frustrating aspects of this job. To protect the horse, that is the intention of this bill. I don't think it is political. It's more a matter of what are we doing to protect these athletes on a national basis. Whether this is constitutional or not, we have to consider what business we are in, what we are trying to do and what is the public perception of our sport? It's as simple as that. If you want to burn down the house and fight this for the next 10 years, remember that we are all here to protect the animal. If we can't do that, we should not be in this business.”

HISA is set to be implemented July 1, 2022, which Kannady said is unlikely to happen. He wasn't alone. Moderator Bennett Liebman brought up several hurdles HISA must clear before it can become a reality. He noted that, when it comes to HISA, there are many details yet to be worked out, which won't happen overnight.

“The problems with this bill are absolutely enormous,” he said. “It's going to take an incredible amount of work by the Authority to make this work, that's if it survives the court challenges. It is absolutely daunting.”

Liebman brought up the possibility that HISA's constitutionality may ultimately be decided by the Supreme Court.

Focusing on the legal challenges, Kannady painted a picture where, even if the pro-HISA side prevails in court, it may take years for the bill to go into effect.

“I don't know how long it might take,” he said. “But we do know how slow the court process is, especially with how COVID got the courts backed up. We are less than a year out from implementation and have multiple jurisdictions involved with legal challenges. We're just at the district-level process. If it goes through the appellate process, and it could even go the Supreme Court, that would mean this could take years.”

O'Rourke opened the conference, celebrating the return of fans to Saratoga and going over some of the issues NYRA will face in the coming years. He addressed sports betting, which he believes NYRA can benefit from if it can incorporate its product with websites taking bets on the major sports.

“With sports betting, you literally have every other sport on these platforms,” he said. “Putting racing side by side with that would be a winning combination. It opens up our customer base, 10x, 20x. It's an incredible opportunity and we look forward to that. We believe pari-mutuels and fixed odds can exist side by side.”

On the subject of the future of the two downstate tracks, O'Rourke said changes are in order.

“Ultimately, one would argue that with two tracks that are eight miles apart, consolidating to one facility is a logical economic approach,” he said.

O'Rourke added that Belmont would have to be winterized should it become the only remaining track in the New York City area. If NYRA decides to go in that direction, he said the possibility exists that Belmont could be torn down and rebuilt.

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