Daily handle, field sizes decline for January

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Average daily handle on Aqueduct’s races in January was $5,348.893, down 22 percent from the average of $6,853,355 in January 2022, according to figures provided by the New York Racing Association.

All sources handle was up 2 percent – $90,931,187 compared to $89,093,611 – but there were 17 cards run this January with no weather-related cancellations compared to 13 cards run last January with five weather-related cancellations. Two of last January’s cancellations were Saturday cards.

This January, there were 147 races run with an average field size of 6.93 horses per races. In January 2022 there were 114 races run with 7.54 horses per races. Favorites this January won at a 38 percent clip compared to 33 percent in 2022.

Two of the first three cards in February were canceled due to forecasted cold temperatures.

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