Belmont Park handle hits $24.6 million on Saturday

All-sources handle on Saturday’s Stars & Stripes card at Belmont Park was $24,612,465, the highest in the five-year history of the event. The card was highlighted by the Belmont Derby and the Belmont Oaks.

In 2014, the New York Racing Association moved the Jamaica and the Garden City from the Belmont fall to the summer and re-branded them the Belmont Derby and Belmont Oaks, respectively. That year, there were 10 races - including the Dwyer, Suburban and Belmont Sprint Championship - and the all-sources handle was $18,829,264. Since then, there have been 11 races on the day, and in 2016 all-sources handle was $22,980,094. It dropped slightly last year to $22,341,423 before going up 10.1 percent this year.

Ontrack handle Saturday was $3,182,221, a 3 percent increase from last year’s figure of $3,084,823, and the highest in the last five years on that day.

Attendance on Saturday was 16,763, also a high for the last five years. There was a drinking glass giveaway on Saturday.