Calder numbers decline on year

Handle and attendance during Calder Race Course's 123-day summer and fall meeting were down in the face of adverse weather conditions created by the string of hurricanes that hit south Florida this year.

Average all-sources handle on Calder's races dropped 10.3 percent, from $3.36 million to $3.02 million, while ontrack handle dropped 3 percent, from $397,399 to $385,675. Average attendance dropped 5.2 percent, from 4,669 to 4,429.

Calder canceled three days of racing during the meet, Sept. 3-5, and several of its major stakes were rescheduled because of hurricane conditions

The summer-fall meet ended on Oct. 23, and Calder's Tropical-at-Calder meet began the next day. The 55-day Tropical meet will run through Jan. 2, 2005, after which racing in south Florida shifts to Gulfstream Park.