California handle in August down 4.6 percent

All-sources handle throughout California was down 4.6 percent to $328.8 million in August, contributing to a decline of 10.5 percent through the first eight months of the year, according to figures released at Thursday’s California Horse Racing Board meeting.

In August, handle on Thoroughbred races at Del Mar and the Northern California fair circuit was $305.9 million, a decline of 4.5 percent, while handle on the Quarter Horse and lower-level Thoroughbred meeting at Los Alamitos was $22.8 million, down 5.6 percent.

The figures include ontrack, satellite, and account-wagering sources.

For the year through August, all-sources handle was $1.94 billion compared to $2.17 billion during a similar period in 2018.