Aqueduct winter meet handle rises 17 percent

The 2020-21 Aqueduct winter meet generated all-sources handle of $349,962,356, an increase of 17.2 percent over the 2019-20 winter meet, according to figures released Tuesday by the New York Racing Association.

There were 466 races run over 54 cards of racing at the 2020-21 meet -- which ended Sunday -- compared to 433 races run over 50 cards of racing in 2019-20. The final six cards of the 2019-20 winter meet were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which prompted NYRA to cease racing operations as of March 20, 2020. Average daily handle at the 2020-21 meet was $6,480,784, compared to $5,970,994 last winter.

The 2020-21 meet was conducted without fans and only a limited number of owners in attendance. Ontrack handle for the 2020-21 meet, consisting primarily of wagers placed by New York residents through NYRA Bets, the company’s advance deposit wagering platform, was $24,891,692, a 19.3 percent decrease from the 2019-20 ontrack figure of $30,878,826.

The all-sources handle for the 2020-21 winter meet was 4.3 percent higher than the handle at the 2018-19 winter meet, when 516 races were run over 60 days of racing. Average field size for the 2020-21 meet was 7.42 horses per race compared to 7.31 in 2019-20 and 7.11 in 2018-19.