August wagering on U.S. Thoroughbreds up over 2019, number of races down
Total wagering in August on U.S. Thoroughbred races was up 2.5 percent despite a large decline in races compared to the same month two years ago, prior to the coronavirus pandemic, according to figures distributed by Equibase on Sunday.
Average wagering per race in August this year was $340,808, up 16.6 percent compared to the average per-race figure of $292,391 in the same month of 2019. There were 3,539 races in August of this year compared to 4,026 races in August 2019, a decline of 12.1 percent, according to the Equibase figures.
There were nine weekend dates in August of this year, the same number as August 2019. Total wagering in August was $1,206,119,197, compared to total wagering two years ago of $1,177,165,980.
Field size continued a decline compared to two years ago, dropping 2.8 percent to 6.97 horses per race.
For the year, total handle is up 10.2 percent compared to the same eight months in 2019, while total number of races has declined 9.4 percent. Average betting per race for the year is $375,542, up 21.6 percent over the average handle of $308,907 in 2019.
While comparisons to last year are problematic due to the large number of disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, total wagering in August of this year was up 4.5 percent compared to August of last year, when there were 10 weekend dates in the month. The number of races held in August was down 1.9 percent this year compared to last year.
Purses distributed in U.S. races in August of this year amounted to $125.58 million, compared to $128.29 million in August of last year, for an average this year of $35,484. The average two years ago was $31,866.