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Hawthorne’s Fall Thoroughbred Meet Shows 29 Percent Handle Increase

In a year that saw a break during the summer harness meet for racing, limited to no fans in the facility, and uncertainty throughout the industry with virus concerns, the fall Thoroughbred meet at Hawthorne in Stickney, Ill. wrapped up with strong handle and field size increases. While the vast majority of handle came from locations off-site due to Covid-19 restrictions, great support from the horsemen in the entry box, beautiful weather, and support of the wagering public made for sizeable gains during the 34 day fall meet.

For handle, with restrictions in place throughout 2020, the only true comparison comes with total handle as $65,658,122 was wagered over the 34 racing days in 2020. This was compared to $44,763,380 wagered on the 30 cards in the 2019 October through December timeframe. This translated to a 29 percent per card increase in handle of $1,931,121 wagered per card in 2020 compared to $1,492,112 in the fall of 2019. For the 2020 meet, 15 cards surpassed $2 million in handle, compared to just one in 2019.

Field size greatly increased as well. With 298 races run in 2020, compared to 277 in 2019, a total of 2,694 horses started this fall, compared to 2,251 last season. Total average field size for the meet increased from 8.13 per race in 2019 to 9.04 in 2020. The nice weather paid off for turf races as 49 races were run on the grass in 2020, compared to just 19 in 2019.

On the track, jockey Victor Santiago won his second Hawthorne riding title, winning 32 races. 2019 champ Jareth Loveberry had another strong meet, finishing with 28 wins. Loveberry was followed by Chris Emigh, Julio Felix, and newcomer Francisco Arrieta, each with 27 wins apiece.

Trainer Hugh Robertson took his second consecutive training title, winning 26 races this fall. Scott Becker finished second with 16 wins. A strong first Hawthorne meet from Karl Broberg had him in third with 14 victories, tied with Brittany Vandenberg.

A big closing day pushed Novogratz Racing Stables to the owner's title, winning 16 races, followed by William Stritiz with 13 victories and End Zone Athletics, Inc. with 10 wins.

Two horses won five races during the fall meet as Wake Up Joe and Verrazano First both accomplished that feat. Readthecliffnotes scored four times during the fall racing season.

“2020 has been a year unlike any other at Hawthorne,” stated Hawthorne President and General Manager Tim Carey. “We faced uncertainty with the racing schedule, fans on-site, and working around casino construction at our facility. Working hand in hand with our horsemen made a great difference though. They are excited about what is just around the corner at Hawthorne for racing and showed their support all meet long. While 2020 turned out to be a strong fall meet for us, I cannot wait for what we can do for racing in Illinois in 2021 and beyond.”

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Charles Town Sets Annual Wagering Record For Sixth Straight Year

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races concluded its live racing season this past Saturday night with an all-sources handle approaching $2 million, and despite an atypical year that saw multiple temporary closures due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the track was able to once again establish a new annual record for wagering volume per race – the sixth consecutive year it has done so.

The $231,518 bet per race at Charles Town in 2020 easily ran past the previous record high of $156,311 set in 2019 by more than 48 percent while handle per starter jumped more than 43 percent.

In addition to the year-over-year gains, Charles Town nearly tripled its wagering volume per race versus where it stood in 2009 when an average of $80,980 was run through the windows each race. The 2020 levels represent a 185 percent increase over where the track stood just a decade earlier. In fact, the difference is so great that racing at Charles Town in 2020 produced 50 percent more in gross pari-mutuel handle than 2009 despite the track conducting 100 fewer race days.

“2020 was obviously challenging for everyone but the job our whole team did in helping us not only return from a shutdown earlier in the year but allowing us to achieve business volumes for racing that are unprecedented in our history has been remarkable,” said Vice President of Racing and Sports Operations Erich Zimny. “We're also grateful for our fans and horseplayers who continue to support our product, our industry partners that have been critical to our success and the Charles Town HBPA which was very cooperative in a year that was as challenging for the local horsemen anyone.”

When a temporary shutdown of live racing forced the April cancellation of Charles Town's marquee event – the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic – 2020 saw another first as both of Charles Town's graded stakes were run on the same card for the first time. Rescheduled for the last weekend in August, local hero Runnin'toluvya tried to defend his title in the Classic having become the first West Virginia-bred to win the contest just a year earlier. The popular gelding by West Virginia stallion Fiber Sonde finished a credible third but nobody in the field of 10 older horses was catching the eventual winner as Thumbs Up Racing's Sleepy Eyes Todd powered home to a 7 1/2 length triumph over longshot runner-up Plus Que Parfait. Trained by Miguel Silva and ridden by local rider Carlos Delgado, Sleepy Eyes Todd has since come back to win the Lafayette at Keeneland on the Breeders' Cup undercard and the Mr. Prospector (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

The 2020 Charles Town Oaks (G3) saw a front running 9-1 upset by Joseph Besecker's Fly on Angel who held off G1 winner Wicked Whisper by a diminishing half-length on the wire under jockey Fredy Peltroche. In winning the Charles Town Oaks, Peltroche joined Javier Castellano as one of only two riders to have captured multiple graded stakes at Charles Town having won the Oaks two years prior aboard West Virginia-bred Late Night Pow Wow.

The $5,603,606 wagered on the 2020 Charles Town Classic card fell just over $100,000 short of the mark for the largest single-card handle in track history, established in 2019.

West Virginia Breeders' Classics XXXIV took place on Oct. 10 and the late running Awsome Faith notched a 37-1 surprise in the featured $150,000 West Virginia Breeders' Classic, besting fellow longshot Buff's Eye View by a half-length. In the richest race for fillies and mares on the Breeders' Classics card, odds-on favorite Bridging the Gap controlled the field from the start, drawing off to a 6 1/4 length score.

The $3,371,681 bet on the West Virginia Breeders' Classics XXXIV program established a new record for the event.

For the third time in his career, Arnaldo Bocachica topped the annual jockey standing at Charles Town in both wins and earnings. Winning at a 30 percent rate in 2020, Bocachica's 160 winners from 541 starts allowed him to bank $ $2,771,238 in earnings over the course of the year. Gerald Almodovar's 75 victories were enough to claim him the runner-up spot on the list with Christian Hiraldo, Reshawn Latchman and Denis Arujo rounding out the top five.

For the fifteenth consecutive year, Jeff Runco took the top spot in the trainer standings by saddling 93 winners at Charles Town – 25 more than runner-up Ronney Brown. Charles Town's perennial top two conditioners were well clear of Anthony Farrior, who found the winners circle at Charles Town 46 times in 2020. Runco's 424 starters produced $2,114,150 in earnings, allowing him to also take the earnings title as one of only three trainers to hit the seven-figure mark in winnings, joining Brown and John McKee.

Currently, there are 174 live days scheduled at Charles Town for 2021 with the track's two graded stakes – the $800,000 Charles Town Classic (G2) and $400,000 Charles Town Oaks (G3) – both scheduled for Aug. 27. State-breds will take center stage on Oct. 9 as Charles Town will host the 35th renewal of the West Virginia Breeders' Classics.

Charles Town's 2021 racing season kicks off on Wednesday, Jan. 8, with post time for the first race scheduled for 7:00pm EST.

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With Fewer Race Days, Aqueduct Fall Meet Sees 12.8 Percent Increase In Average Daily Handle

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) today announced the 2020 fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack generated $9,261,276 in average daily handle from all sources, a 12.8 percent increase over the 2019 Aqueduct fall meet.

The 2020 fall meet, which was conducted over 18 race days, generated all sources handle of $166,702,976. The 2019 fall meet, which was conducted over 25 race days, generated all sources handle of $205,249,710. A total of 175 races were run in 2020, equating to 58 fewer than the number of races run in 2019.

Of the 175 races run during the fall meet, 107 were held on the main track and 68 over the two turf courses. Average field size over those 175 races was 8.67, a 3.2 percent increase over 2019. A total of 11 races were taken off the turf due to weather.

The 2020 fall meet was highlighted by 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 million in purse money, and ran from Friday, Nov. 6 through Sunday, Dec. 6.

Kendrick Carmouche registered his first-ever riding title for a NYRA meet, notching 23 victories to pace all jockeys during the fall meet at Aqueduct. Christophe Clement also secured his first NYRA title by tallying 16 wins to lead all trainers, while Klaravich Stables and Repole Stables each campaigned five winners to finish as co-leading owners.

The Aqueduct fall meet was conducted without spectators and with only a limited number of essential personnel, horsemen and owners on-site due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020-21 winter meet at Aqueduct will begin on Thursday, December 10 and continue through Sunday, March 28. The 56-day Aqueduct winter meet will include 42 stakes races worth $4.57 million in purse money.

New York state currently requires all racetracks to operate without spectators in attendance to combat the spread of COVID-19. As was the case during the Aqueduct fall meet, a limited number of New York State Gaming Commission-licensed owners will be permitted at Aqueduct on the day their horse is entered to race.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, NYRA Bets is currently offering a $200 new member bonus in addition to a host of special weekly offers. The NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

For additional information, and the complete winter meet stakes schedule, please visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/stakes-schedule.

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Belmont Fall Meet Sees 33.6 Percent Increase In Average Daily Handle

The New York Racing Association Inc., (NYRA) today announced that the Belmont Park fall meet generated $9,923,813 in average daily handle from all sources, a 33.6 percent increase over the 2019 fall meet.

Despite running 10 fewer days than in 2019, all sources handle of $267,942,961 was down just 2.5 percent compared with 2019.

The Belmont Park fall meet has traditionally opened on the Friday following Labor Day. Due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, NYRA adjusted the fall schedule by adding a one-week break following the conclusion of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course. As a result, the 2020 fall meet was contested over 27 days compared to 37 days in 2019, a 27 percent decrease in race dates.

A total of 267 races were run during the fall meet with 148 on the main track and 118 over the grass. Average field size over those 267 races was 7.88, an 8.7 percent increase over 2019. 24 races were taken off the turf due to weather.

The Oct. 10 Jockey Club Gold Cup Day card, which featured 5 graded stakes in total, generated all sources handle of $19,534,830, which is the highest single day handle number for a Belmont fall race date since September 2014.

The 2019 fall meet at Belmont Park generated all sources handle of $274,929,718 and average daily handle of $7,430,533. 324 races were run in total with 14 races taken off the turf due to weather. Average field size was 7.25.

Chad Brown posted 22 wins to earn the status as top trainer for the Belmont Park fall meet for the ninth consecutive year, while Jose Ortiz registered 40 victories to lead all riders.

Klaravich Stables campaigned 13 winners, six more than the second-closest competitor in Repole Stables, to pace all owners.

The fall meet was conducted without spectators and with only a limited number of essential personnel, horsemen and owners on-site due to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack will begin on Friday, November 6 and continue through Sunday, December 6. Highlighted by the 32nd renewal of the of the Grade 1, $250,000 Cigar Mile on Saturday, December 5, the 18-day fall meet at Aqueduct features 29 stakes, including 11 graded events, worth $3.41 in purses.

Opening weekend of the Big A fall meet, which coincides with the Breeders' Cup set for November 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course, begins with the $100,000 Tempted for juvenile fillies and $100,000 Atlantic Beach for juvenile turf sprinters on November 6.

Following opening weekend, live racing will be conducted Thursday through Sunday with the exception of Thanksgiving Week, when live racing will not be offered on Thanksgiving Day, November 26.

New York state currently requires all racetracks to operate without spectators in attendance to combat the spread of COVID-19. As was the case during the Belmont Park fall meet, a limited number of New York State Gaming Commission-licensed owners will be permitted at Aqueduct on the day their horse is entered to race.

America's Day at the Races will present daily television coverage of the Aqueduct fall meet with coverage to air on FOX Sports and MSG Networks.

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