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Wagering On U.S. Racing Highest Since 2009

According to figures released Wednesday by Equibase, $12,218,407,637 was wagered on horse racing in the U.S. in 2021. The figure marks the first time betting has topped $12 billion since 2009 when $12.315 billion was bet.

“Against an extraordinarily difficult backdrop, the resiliency of Thoroughbred racing was on full display in 2021, as we concluded the year with significant growth in purses and total handle of more than $12 billion, the highest since 2009,” NTRA President and Chief Executive Officer Tom Rooney said in a statement. “We thank our customers for their ongoing support, as their wagering dollars continue to fuel our industry. As we turn the page to 2022, we look forward to the beginning of a new era for U.S. Thoroughbred racing with the launch of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) and an even greater focus on equine safety and welfare and the integrity of America's oldest sport.”

Wagering peaked in 2003 when $15.18 billion was bet.

Wagering was up 11.86% over 2020, when $10,922,936,290 was bet during a year in which the pandemic kept several tracks closed for parts of the year. A better comparison may be 2019, when $11,033,824,363 was wagered. The 2021-versus-2019 numbers show a 10.74% increase.

While the increase in wagering was likely the result of several factors, the hope within the industry is that gamblers turned their attention to racing when COVID-19 shut down the four major sports in 2020 and that many of those players have continued to wager on the sport.

There were 4,072 race days in 2021 versus 3,302 in the prior year. The average amount wagered per race day dropped, from $3,307,976 to $3,000,591, a decline of 9.29%.

Purses also showed a dramatic increase during the year. Total U.S. purses for the year were $1,180,853,677, a 35.77% increase over 2020. The amount of purse money paid out when compared to 2019 showed a slight increase of 1.11%.

Average purses per race day were $273,871 in 2021, a 9.91% increase from 2020 numbers and a 9.87% increase over 2019.

Field sizes continued to decline in 2021. The average field included 7.37 runners, down 7.2% from 2020 when the average field size was 7.94. Average field size in 2019 was 7.53. As recently as 2009, the average field size was 8.24.

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Godolphin, Cox Set North American Earnings Records For Owner, Trainer; Rosario No. 1 Among Jockeys In 2021

Godolphin LLC – the ownership group that campaigned Belmont Stakes (Grade 1) and Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) winner Essential Quality along with 14 other North American graded stakes winners – established a single-season record as the leading owner by earnings, according to final statistics released Jan. 3 by Equibase Company LLC, the Thoroughbred industry's official database for racing information.

Brad H. Cox established a single-season record as the top earner for trainers. It was the first leading owner and trainer titles, respectively, for Godolphin and Cox. Joel Rosario was the top money-earning jockey, a first for him, after finishing second last year.

The year-end compilations are distributed annually by Equibase and include results from Thoroughbred racing in North America from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2021. Expanded North American racing leaders' lists that include all trainers, jockeys, owners, and horses are available within the statistical section at equibase.com. These lists include the ability to look at leaders in a variety of categories, including age, sex, surface, graded races, foaling year for horses, and the inclusion of designated foreign races, such as the Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup races.

Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) winner Knicks Go, who won five of his six North American races, led all Thoroughbreds in North American earnings with $5,824,140. In addition to his win in the Classic, Knicks Go won the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), the Whitney Stakes (G1), and two other graded stakes races. He also finished fourth in the Saudi Cup.

Completing the list of top 10 horses by North American earnings were Medina Spirit with $3,520,000, Essential Quality with $3,420,000, Yibir (GB) with $2,615,000, Hot Rod Charlie with $2,127,500, Letruska with $1,945,540, Silver State with $1,693,000, Malathaat with $1,563,000, Mandaloun with $1,560,000, and Maxfield with $1,512,550.

Some of the leading horses also were the top earners from their respective foal crops. The leading earners by foaling year from the past five years were Echo Zulu (by Gun Runner, 2019 foal crop), Essential Quality (by Tapit, 2018 foal crop), Authentic (by Into Mischief, 2017), Knicks Go (by Paynter, 2016), and Vino Rosso (by Curlin, 2015).

Godolphin – with 84 North American wins from 479 starts – was a dominant force among owners in 2021 with record earnings of $17,403,204, smashing the former single-season earnings record of $12.2 million set in 2013 by Kenneth L. and Sarah K. Ramsey. When including earnings from Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup days, Godolphin had 88 wins and earnings of $29,398,204, those earnings coming primarily from Dubai World Cup winner Mystic Guide and U.A.E. Derby winner Rebel's Romance (IRE).

Completing the list of top 10 owners by North American earnings in 2020 were Klaravich Stables, Inc., $7,016,654 (72 wins / 294 starts); Juddmonte, $5,899,094 (38/134); Korea Racing Authority, $5,824,140 (5/6); Calumet Farm, $5,415,390 (63/528); End Zone Athletics Inc., $5,076,698 (266/1,248); Three Diamonds Farm, $5,044,008 (52/318); Peter M. Brant, $4,417,444 (31/124); Stonestreet Stables, $4,378,427 (36/127); and Gary Barber, $4,333,024 (91/482).

Cox sent out the winners of 269 races from 358 starters with 1,025 starts in establishing a single-season earnings record of $31,832,345 in 2021, edging the previous record of $31.1 million set in 2019 by Chad C. Brown. When including earnings from Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup days, Cox's earnings for the year totaled $33,332,345. Steven M. Asmussen, last year's leading trainer by earnings, finished second with his horses having won 453 races from 640 starters with 2,427 starts for earnings of $31,268,944.

Completing the list of top 10 trainers by North American earnings in 2021 were Brown, $22,213,740 (196 wins / 316 starters / 839 starts); Todd A. Pletcher, $22,098,436 (204/306/915); Michael J. Maker, $14,938,517 (214/419/1,340); Mark E. Casse, $14,881,212 (225/363/1,347); Bob Baffert, $14,646,762 (108/117/341); William I. Mott, $12,410,845 (108/194/616); Christophe Clement, $10,069,223 (116/189/564); and Saffie A. Joseph Jr., $9,027,406 201/279/875).

Rosario reached the winner's circle 228 times from 1,083 mounts in 2021 and earned $32,944,478. With earnings from the Dubai World Cup and Saudi Cup days included, Rosario earned $35,421,978. Finishing second was Irad Ortiz, Jr., who was the leading jockey for the past two years, with 336 wins from 1,443 mounts and earnings of $29,274,435. Ortiz holds the single-season North American earnings record of $34,109,019 set in 2019.

Rounding out the list of top 10 jockeys by North American earnings in 2021 were Luis Saez, $26,187,754 (293 wins / 1,635 starts); Jose L. Ortiz, $25,000,069 (256/1,372); Flavien Prat, $23,098,013 (245/921); Tyler Gaffalione, $19,232,182 (2,691/423); Florent Geroux, $19,021,642 (185/898); John R. Velazquez, $17,738,203 (119/695); Ricardo Santana Jr., $16,976,612 (164/990); and Manuel Franco, $14,043,066 (184/1,341).

Knicks Go wins the Breeders' Cup Classic under Joel Rosario

Equibase Company is a partnership between The Jockey Club and the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America and serves as the Thoroughbred industry's official database. Through its website and mobile applications, Equibase offers a comprehensive menu of wagering products, statistical information, and video race replays in support of the North American Thoroughbred racing industry. Additional information is available at equibase.com.

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Equibase Analysis: Hagler Could Throw Knockout Punch In Jerome Stakes

Eight horses are entered in Saturday's $150,000 Jerome Stakes, which kicks off the Road to the Kentucky Derby for 2022 in New York. The rest of the series consists of the Withers Stakes on Feb. 5 and the Gotham Stakes on March 5 before culminating in the Wood Memorial Stakes on April 9.

Leading this field is a pair of recent stakes placed runners in Cooke Creek and Ohtwoohthreefive. Cooke Creek won the Rocky Run Stakes in October and was most recently second in the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes in November, while Ohtwoohthreefive missed by a nose in the Central Park Stakes on turf near the end of November and tries dirt for the first time for his seventh career start.

Mr Jefferson also enters the Jerome off a stakes try, as he was fourth of eight in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Belmont four weeks ago. Rumble Strip Ron finished second in the Best of Ohio Stakes in October which was a race restricted to horses bred in Ohio, and he enters the race off a claiming race in November so this will be a big test.

Then there are a quartet of recent winners, including Hagler, who broke his maiden in October and then bested allowance company on Dec. 16. The other recent winners, Courvoisier, Smarten Up and Unbridled Bomber, all enter the Jerome Stakes off maiden wins and will attempt to prove they belong at this level.

Top contenders:

Hagler gets a great outside post for this one-turn mile trip at Aqueduct and appears to be the type who can be on the lead or just off the pace from the start, which is an advantage in many ways. He and jockey Jorge Vargas, Jr. can wait a few strides to see if another horse wants the lead at the start, at that point taking up a stalking position, or if no other horse wants the lead Hagler can take command. The latter is exactly what he did in his most recent race on Dec. 16 at Aqueduct where he led from start to finish.

Prior to that, on Oct. 29, Hagler stayed in second for the first half-mile before drawing off to win by four and one-half lengths. Both victories came with Vargas, Jr. in the saddle, and the first of the two earned an 84 ™ Equibase Speed Figure which, if logically improved on in the colt's third start off a layoff, puts him in range of the top horse's figures in the field.

Those top figures belong to the other two main contenders: Ohtwoohthreefive (93) and Cooke Creek (89). Trainer Rudy Rodriguez has a very good 20 percent win rate when stretching a horse out in distance at Aqueduct (per Race Lens) over the last two years, with a +38 percent return on investment and a median win payoff of $13. As such, I expect Hagler to win his third race in a row and put his name squarely into the Road to the Kentucky Derby with a big effort in the Jerome Stakes.

Ohtwoohthreefive has raced exclusively on turf to date, with a record of 1-2-2 in six races. His best effort came in his most recent race on Nov. 27 in the Central Park Stakes, where he rallied to lead with an eighth of a mile to go then battled nose-and-nose down to the wire, losing by inches at the finish. Nevertheless, the 95™ figure he earned is the best by any horse in the field. Whether that type of effort is transferrable to dirt does not appear to be a question as his sire is Union Rags, himself a talented colt on dirt including a win in the 2012 Belmont Stakes. Additionally, trainer George Weaver has a creditable five-for-16 record when moving a horse from turf to dirt over the last 12 months. Jockey Kendrick Carmouche rode Ohtwoohthreefive for the first time that day and rides back in the Jerome, and if the early pace is hotly contested this colt could be the one to get up in time and win.

Cooke Creek is the only horse in the Jerome Stakes field with a stakes win, and that win came at the same mile trip as this race. He won his debut when sprinting easily in September with a 76 figure then stretched out to a mile and won the Rocky Run Stakes in October, earning an 89 figure. Trying much tougher foes in the Nashua Stakes in November, Cooke Creek was no match for winner Rockefeller when second the entire length of the stretch but he was nearly three lengths clear of the next horse, earning an 86 figure in the process. With jockey Manuel Franco riding back after getting familiar with the colt in the Nashua, Cooke Creek certainly can win this race with just slight improvement off his Rocky Run effort.

The rest of the field, with their best ™ Equibase Speed Figures, is Courvoisier (85), Mr Jefferson (82), Rumble Strip Ron (77), Smarten Up (71) and Unbridled Bomber (82).

Win contenders, in preference/probability order:
Hagler
Ohtwoohthreefive
Cooke Creek

Jerome Stakes
Race 8 at Aqueduct
Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022 – Post Time 3:50 PM E.T.
One Mile
Three Year Olds
Purse: $150,000

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Cella Appointed to Equibase Management Committee

Louis Cella, president of the Oaklawn Jockey Club, has been appointed to the Management Committee of Equibase Company LLC, filling a board seat vacated by Daisy Phipps Pulito, racing manager of Phipps Stable. Cella was named present of Oaklawn Park in 2017, succeeding his late father. He is the third generation of his family to serve on the board of the Thoroughbred Racing Associations of North America (TRA), and a member of The Jockey Club since 2017. He also serves as a director of the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau and on the board of trustees for the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.

“As someone involved in all aspects of Thoroughbred racing, Louis is not only passionate about our sport, but brings a vast knowledge and experience to this committee, and we look forward to his contributions,” Equibase chairman Ian D. Highet said. “Daisy's personal and professional involvement in Thoroughbred breeding and racing, as well as her background in sports and television, provided a valuable perspective to the committee, and we thank her for her service.”

The Equibase Management Committee is composed of members from each of the company's two general partners–The Jockey Club and the TRA. The TRA representatives are Peter Berube, Happy Broadbent, Christopher McErlean, David O'Rourke, Mike Rogers and Josh Rubinstein. Besides Highet and Cella, The Jockey Club representatives are C. Steven Duncker, James L. Gagliano, Stuart S. Janney III and Nick Nicholson.

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