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Wagering on U.S. Races Declines in February

Wagering on U.S. races dipped 2.85% in February, with 11 fewer racing dates, in year-to-year comparisons released Tuesday by Equibase, while through two months of 2024, wagering is down 6.83% with 59 fewer race days than the same period in 2023. Wagering in February totaled $838,195,585, compared to $862,782,585 in February, 2023. Through two months, a total of $1,618,055,698 was wagered in U.S. races. That figure was $1,736,625,054 after two months of 2023.

While available purse money increased 6.44% to $86,413,218 in February, that figure year-to-date is down 4.03% to $164,357,301.

There were 252 race days in February, compared to 263 in 2023, bringing the year-to-date total to 469 versus 528 a year ago. There were 4,007 races in January and February, compared to 4,508 during that period in 2023.

Average field size rose slightly during the first two months of the year, from 7.66 in 2023 to 7.77 in 2024.

The post Wagering on U.S. Races Declines in February appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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With Saratoga Slumping, National Handle off 7.3% in August

Betting on U.S. horse racing had its worst month so far this year in August as handle fell by $87,216,418 when compared to August 2022 figures. The decline was 7.3%, the sharpest drop in a month since December 2022.

A total of $1,107,146,014 was bet on the sport during this August, while the 2022 handle figure was $1,194,362,432. In month-over-month figures, it was the sharpest drop since December when handle fell by 7.52%.

While the Saratoga meet spills over in to July and September, the majority of it is run in August. That handle fell so sharply, by 9.0%, during the meet at Saratoga, no doubt impacted the national figures. While national handle was off by $87 million in August, handle for the Saratoga meet alone fell by $78,982,675.

The monthly Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators report issued each month by Equibase continues to offer bad news when it comes to the handle front. Through August, handle is off 4.09% for the year. It has also fallen for six straight months after posting a slight increase in March.

As is often the case when the monthly reports come out, there was good news on the purse front. While the total amount of purse money paid out was virtually identical to August, 2022 numbers, the average available purses per race day figure was $324,561, a 12.62% increase from last year. For the year, $819,846,264 in purses have been paid out. In the category of average available purses per race day, that number has risen by 10%.

Average field size has actually shown a slight increase this year, going from 7.18 starters per race to 7.30.

The post With Saratoga Slumping, National Handle off 7.3% in August appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Del Mar Maintains Purse Levels For 2020 Fall Stakes Schedule

Del Mar Thoroughbred Club will present its seventh fall race meeting – officially titled the Bing Crosby Season in a salute to the seaside track's founder – with 16 stakes worth $2,250,000 scheduled during a 15-day session starting on Saturday, October 31.

Despite the concerns and obvious issues around the ongoing pandemic, the track was able to maintain the same purse amounts for its stakes as presented in 2019, including $300,000 incentives for its pair of Grade Is and $200,000 for its two Grade IIs.

Additionally, because Del Mar serves as California host for the Breeders' Cup races this year, it also will run two California-bred sprint stakes for juveniles that were not on its agenda the past two seasons.

Nine of the 16 fall stakes are graded; nine of the 16 stakes will be run on turf; seven of the stakes – all of them on grass – will be presented over the track's extended closing weekend which begins on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, November 26, and goes until closing day on Sunday, November 29.

“Given the current climate of things, we are very pleased to keep our fall stakes purse levels intact,” said David Jerkens, Del Mar's racing secretary. “The response to our summer racing program was exceptional. We are expecting similar results this fall. I am especially excited about our Thanksgiving stakes weekend, which has taken on national prominence.”

The track's two premier stakes will be presented on its closing weekend – the Grade I, $300,000 Hollywood Derby for 3-year-olds at nine furlongs on Saturday, November 28 and the Grade I, $300,000 Matriarch Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on Sunday, November 29. Both are run on the Jimmy Durante Turf Course.

Additionally, closing weekend also will offer the Grade II, $200,000 Hollywood Turf Cup for 3-year-olds and up at a mile and one-half on Thanksgiving Friday, November 27 and the Grade II, $200,000 Seabiscuit Handicap for 3-year-olds and up and a mile and one-sixteenth on November 28.

Racing will be conducted Saturday and Sunday for opening weekend, then Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the next three weeks, finishing finally with a four-day week around Thanksgiving.

First post daily will be 12:30 p.m. on all racing days with the exception of the track's special holiday card on Thanksgiving Thursday when racing begins at 11 a.m.

There will be six stakes offered for juveniles, led off by the two Cal-bred dashes – the $150,000 Golden State Juvenile Fillies on Friday, November 6 and the $150,000 Golden State Juvenile on Saturday, November 7, both at seven furlongs.

Three of the juvenile tests are Grade IIIs – the $100,000 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs on Sunday, November 15; the $100,000 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on the grass on Saturday, November 28, and the $100,000 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes on Sunday, November 29, also at a mile on the lawn.

The Bing Crosby Season once again will kick off with a pair of $75,000 overnight stakes — the Kathryn Crosby Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile on turf October 31 and the Let It Ride Stakes for 3-year-olds at the same distance and surface on November 1.

As in past years, Del Mar's racing office plans to card eight races during its weekday cards and nine for the weekend programs.

The complete list of stakes follows:

DATE	RACE / CONDITIONS	PURSE / DISTANCE
Sat. Oct 31	Kathryn Crosby Stakes* Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$75,000 Added 1 Mile (Turf)
Sun. Nov 01	Let it Ride Stakes* Three-year-olds	$75,000 Added 1 Mile (Turf)
Fri. Nov 06	GOLDEN STATE JUVENILE FILLIES Fillies, Two-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$150,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sat. Nov 07	GOLDEN STATE JUVENILE Two-year-olds, Cal-Bred	$150,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sun. Nov 08	BETTY GRABLE STAKES Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up, Cal-Bred	$100,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sat. Nov 14	DESI ARNAZ STAKES Fillies, Two-year-olds	$100,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sun. Nov 15	BOB HOPE STAKES (GR. III) Two-year-olds	$100,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Sat. Nov 21	NATIVE DIVER STAKES (GR. III) Three-year-olds & up	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles
Sun. Nov 22	CARY GRANT STAKES Three-year-olds & up, Cal-Bred	$100,000 Guaranteed 7 Furlongs
Thu. Nov 26	RED CARPET HANDICAP (GR. III) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 3/8 Miles (Turf)
Fri. Nov 27	HOLLYWOOD TURF CUP (GR. II) Three-year-olds & up	$200,000 Guaranteed 1 1/2 Miles (Turf)
Sat. Nov 28	JIMMY DURANTE STAKES (GR. III) Fillies, Two-year-olds	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (Turf)
Sat. Nov 28	SEABISCUIT HANDICAP (GR. II) Three-year-olds & up	$200,000 Guaranteed 1 1/16 Miles (Turf)
Sat. Nov 28	HOLLYWOOD DERBY (GR. I) Three-year-olds	$300,000 Guaranteed 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)
Sun. Nov 29	CECIL B. DEMILLE STAKES (GR. III) Two-year-olds	$100,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (Turf)
Sun. Nov 29	MATRIARCH STAKES (GR. I) Fillies & Mares, Three-year-olds & up	$300,000 Guaranteed 1 Mile (Turf)

* Indicates Overnight Stakes

The post Del Mar Maintains Purse Levels For 2020 Fall Stakes Schedule appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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