Business up on Stephen Foster Night

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – All-sources handle for the 11-race Saturday night card was $8,089,559, up 14 percent from the corresponding program last year, when $7,084,280 was bet. Ontrack handle from the announced crowd of 28,986 was $1,450,970, up nearly 9 percent.

Boosted by the appearance of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, attendance for the night was the highest in the four years since the Stephen Foster was first run under the lights. The record for a night crowd here is 38,142, set on opening night of the 2011 spring meet.

Closing night of the 38-day spring meet, June 27, will have four stakes, led by the Grade 2 Firecracker.

◗ The Bob Baffert stable will leave here Thursday with a 1-for-13 record at the spring meet. That’s not very impressive until you consider that the Hall of Fame trainer accomplished exactly what he sought to do – win the Kentucky Derby.

Aside from running first and third in the May 2 Derby with American Pharoah and Dortmund, Baffert’s other starters at this meet included Callback, second in the Eight Belles; Hoppertunity, third in the Foster; and Fame and Power, second in the Matt Winn.