All-sources handle for final Belmont at the Big A meet ticks down

All-sources handle for the Belmont at the Big A spring meet that concluded June 28 was $396,862,961, down 3.9 percent from the $413,005,553 handled last year, according to figures supplied by the New York Racing Association.

The handle figures for both years include the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival held in Saratoga in June. This year, Belmont Stakes Day card handled $116 million compared to $101.8 million in 2025.

Ontrack handle for the Belmont at the Big A meet was $45,341,229, up 7.9 percent over last year’s total of $42,025,400.

This period covers 317 races run over 33 days this year compared to 319 races run over the same number of days in 2025.

There were 142 turf races run and only 10 forced off the turf in 2026 compared to just 107 turf races held in 2025 with 38 forced off the turf due to weather conditions.

The average field size for the meet was 7.31 up slightly from 7.17 last year. Field size for turf races, both years, was nearly two horses higher per race than dirt races.
 

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