Field size, weather hurt opening week at Saratoga

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Bitten by Mother Nature and a shortage of entries, Saratoga’s opening-week business was down compared to last year.

All-sources handle through the first four days of the meet was $71,671,188, an 8.3-percent decline from the 2017 figure of $78,132,020. Ontrack handle was $16,320,098, down 3.2-percent from last year’s opening-week figure of $16,866,750.

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There were 40 races run through the first four days of this meet, one fewer than in 2017. There were 17 turf races run both years with four scheduled turf races transferred to dirt this year compared to three in 2017. The opening-week Monday cards both years were impacted by rainy weather.

Somewhat concerning is a decline in field size for opening week. Average field size the first four days of the meet was 7.93 horses per race compared to 8.98 in 2017. On turf, field size is 8.65, down from 10.1 last year. On dirt, average field size is 7.39, down from 8.13 in 2017.

Paid attendance so far this meet is 109,395, down 3.7-percent from last year’s opening week figure of 113,546.

On the track, trainer Chad Brown leads all trainers with seven wins from his first 20 starters while Todd Pletcher is 4 for 13. Javier Castellano went 8 for 29 opening week to lead all jockeys with Irad Ortiz Jr., John Velazquez, and Manny Franco all tied for second with four wins apiece.

Racing resumes on Wednesday with a 10-race card that begins at 1 p.m.