Bay Meadows, up and down

SAN MATEO, Calif. - The just-concluded Bay Meadows spring meeting brought an increase in overall handle, but a dip in ontrack handle and attendance. And the old standbys, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer and jockey Russell Baze, dominated the standings again.

The track's average daily handle rose 8 percent to $4,288,918, thanks to a 21 percent rise in out-of-state wagering, to $1,914,770. Average daily handle rose 1 percent at northern California simulcast facilities, to $1,525,770. Ontrack handle decreased by 4 percent, to $848,428.

Wagering figures did not include totals from telephone and Internet wagering, which were introduced this year.

Bay Meadows president F. Jack Liebau attributed the increase, in part, to a slight increase in average field size despite limited 2-year-old racing and a depleted horse inventory.

Attendance decreased 4 percent, to 3,467 on track and 4,650 at simulcast facilities in northern California, for a total average of 8,117.

One reason for the decline was the track raced on afternoons its first three Fridays instead of nights. Total ontrack attendance for the three Friday nights in 2001 was 11,440, compared with 5,334 for three Friday afternoons this year.

A Memorial Day family promotion this year attracted 9,302 fans, the largest ontrack attendance in two years.

Baze, who leads the nation in victories, won his 27th Bay Meadows riding title. He had 99 victories in 330 mounts, winning at a 30 percent rate. Jason Lumpkins, who led all riders with seven stakes victories, was second with 73 victories in 316 mounts. Apprentices Omar Figueroa (39-269) and Francisco Duran (37-254) and veteran Ron Warren Jr. (37-257) rounded out the top five.

Hollendorfer won his 24th straight training title with 54 victories from 204 starters. Armando Lage was second (31-189) with Art Sherman third (20-113).