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Handle Rebounds in June

According to figures supplied by Equibase, total wagering on U.S. races rose slightly in June, a welcome development after handle plummeted in March, April and May, the months when racing was most impacted by the coronavirus.

A total of $998,448,300 was bet during the month, a 0.76% increase over 2019 numbers. Handle was off by 30.16& percent in May, 24.42% in April and 22.8% in March.

The improved handle numbers were the result of more racetracks opening up, albeit most without fans allowed in the stands. The number of races run in June was 2,485, while 3,905 were held during June 2019. While those numbers represent a 36.36% decline, they are an improvement over previous months. In May and in April, the number of races run was off by 70% or more.

At least in June, there was a leveling off of handle. Virtually the same amount was bet during June 2020 as was wagered in 2019, but it was spread among fewer tracks. That appears to be one of the reasons handle was up sharply during the month at some tracks. The average amount wagered on a racing program in June was $3.3 million, a robust 67.6% increase from a year ago.

Field size also appears to be driving handle. With fewer opportunities available to horses, the average field size in June was 8.11. It was 7.10 a year ago. During the second quarter, which includes April, May and June, average field size was up 16.55%.

With fewer races available, the amount of purse money paid out during the month fell by 39.7%, from $115,194,834 to $69,463,605.

The second quarter numbers are a better indicator of the toll the coronavirus has taken on the sport. A total of $2.5 billion was bet during the quarter, an 18.85% decline from a year earlier when the amount wagered was $3.1 billion. The number of race days declined by 59.68% and purses fell by 62.47%.

For the year, the picture doesn’t look as bleak as one might expect for a sport that has had to deal with a pandemic. Handle for the year has been $5,055,510, a 10.88% decline from 2019 figures. Purses for the year are down 40.41%.

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Lone Star Park Suspends Live Racing

Lone Star Park announced it was suspending live racing prior to its second race Sunday.

A notice on the Texas track’s Twitter feed announced, “Due to an abundance of caution, all racing operations at Lone Star Park have been suspended due to #COVID19. Racing will resume at a date to be determined.”

Lone Star Park opened for an abbreviated 36-day meet May 22 and began allowing fans into the grandstand for live racing June 14.

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Forego Possible for Vekoma

Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) exited his determined victory in Saturday’s GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. in fine shape and could now be aimed at the Aug. 29 GI Forego S. at Saratoga, while connections also consider training the 4-year-old up to the Breeders’ Cup.

“What a horse,” co-owner Randy Hill said Sunday. “I’ll never own another horse like this. I’ve watched the race about 20 times and it just gives me goosebumps. I really wish I could have been there, but I’d rather win than be there and lose them.”

Vekoma earned an automatic entry into both the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint and the GI Breeders’ Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile with his wins in the GI Runhappy Carter S. and Met Mile.

“I think he’s the best older horse in the country,” Hill said. “[Trainer] George [Weaver] is thinking about the Forego or training right up to the Breeders’ Cup and we leave all of that up to him. The horse will tell us. He’s such a warrior.”

Blair Golen, who oversees Weaver’s Belmont string, reported that the Met Mile hero emerged from Saturday’s triumph in good shape.

“He came out of it in good order,” Golen said. “What impressed me last time and this time was that he wasn’t that tired. When he ran here at seven furlongs, he recovered fast and was really on the muscle, and it was the same again this time, too.”

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Joseph Sophomores Tune Up

A pair of sophomores from trainer Saffie Joseph’s barn tuned up for graded stakes engagements with five-furlong works at Gulfstream Park Sunday.

Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), currently seventh in the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying-points standings, breezed five furlongs in :58.64 (1/12) in preparation for a likely start in the July 18 GI Haskell S. at Monmouth Park.

“I worked him Monday last week, so he came back in six days. I wanted to get a good work into him and he worked super. He finished up really good. He ran the last quarter in :22 4/5 and galloped out strong,” Joseph said. “After that work today, I’d say we’re probably going to run him in the Haskell, 95% sure.”

Ny Traffic, third in the GII Risen Star S. in February, was runner-up in both the Mar. 25 GII Louisiana Derby and the May 23 GIII Matt Winn S.

Joseph also sent Tonalist’s Shape (Tonalist) out to work Sunday at Gulfstream. The filly went five furlongs in :59.43 (3/12) after turning in a four-furlong work in :45.35 (2/60) last Monday.

“Last week’s work was a little quicker than ideal, so we just tried to slow her down a little. Once again, she worked super. We’re very happy with where we are with her,” said Joseph.

Of the filly’s next start, Joseph said, “We still haven’t decided. It’ll be either [Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile GI] Ashland S. [at Keeneland] or the [July 18 1 1/8-mile GI] Coaching Club American Oaks [at Saratoga]. We’ll probably decide [Monday].”

Tonalist’s Shape, winner of the GIII Forward Gal S. in February and GII Davona Dale S. Feb. 29, was a well-beaten seventh while trying a route for the first time in the Mar. 28 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, but rebounded to win the 1 1/16-mile Hollywood Wildcat S. May 15 at Gulfstream in her most recent start. She currently ranks seventh in qualifying points for the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks.

Math Wizard (Algorithms), who gave Joseph his first Grade I success in last year’s Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, breezed a half-mile in :49.14 (16/58) in preparation for the GIII Monmouth Cup on the Haskell undercard.

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