Churchill sees record Oaks Day handle, attendance

Buoyed by ideal weather and a full field in a competitive Kentucky Oaks, attendance and wagering were both records for the Friday Oaks card at Churchill Downs in Louisville, according to figures released by the track.

Attendance under ideal weather conditions – temperatures in the low 70s and mostly sunny skies – was 123,763, Churchill reported, well above the previous record of 116,046 set in 2010. The attendance figure was up 9.4 percent over last year, when the weather was overcast and temperatures were in the mid-60s.

The all-sources handle figure for the 12-race Oaks card also was a record at $46.1 million, slightly higher than the previous record set in 2013 and a 6 percent gain over the handle figure last year. Handle on the 14-horse Kentucky Oaks this year was $15.05 million, up almost $1 million from handle of $14.02 million last year, when the race had a 12-horse field.

The Oaks Day figures auger well for Churchill going into Saturday’s Derby card. The weather forecast calls for similar conditions, while the Derby field this year is being touted as one of the most competitive in a decade.

Ontrack betting on the 12-race card also was a record at $12.0 million, up 2 percent from last year’s record, according to Churchill.