Handle, attendance up at Santa Anita meet

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita completed its 68-day winter-spring meeting on Sunday with increases in all-sources handle and attendance but a decline in ontrack handle, track officials said.

The track published limited business data for the meeting, which began Dec. 26.

All-sources handle, including offtrack and account-wagering revenue, rose 3 percent, while ontrack handle fell 1 percent, officials said. Attendance rose 4 percent from the corresponding meeting in 2013-14.

“I think it’s been a really solid meeting,” track chairman Keith Brackpool said in an interview Sunday morning.

Brackpool said one of the drivers for the increase in all-sources handle was betting via account wagering, which was up 13 percent over the 2013-14 meeting through Saturday, the most recent figures available.

“When it comes to ontrack handle, it’s about the same as last year,” he said. “I consider that to be a positive increase. There is no doubt that more people are coming here, and they bet from” phones and tablets.

“We’re coming into a meeting from last year when we had several double carryovers, and a couple of large ones. We’re up 3 percent all-sources without that, which is very good.”

There were 16 pick six carryovers during the meeting but no two-day carryovers. On Sunday, the $2 pick six had a pool of $905,539 following a carryover of $91,238 from Saturday. The bet paid $143,915. The 50-cent pick four pool on the day’s final four races had a pool of $910,963 and paid $1,688.

Santa Anita has invested heavily in upgrading the grandstand and clubhouse in the last two years. In addition, the track is offering free admission to the infield on weekends. Brackpool said those investments are paying dividends.

“Attendance is up because we’re promoting the free infield,” Brackpool said. “We’re offering many different options for consumers – companies can come in, families can come in. We’re starting to attract a new crowd.”

The highest attendance was opening day, with 40,810. The highest all-sources handle was Santa Anita Handicap Day, March 7, with $22,195,151.

Field size rose. During the 2013-14 meeting, the track ran 594 races that averaged 7.66 runners per race. At the meeting that ended Sunday, there were 587 races with an average of 8.36 runners per race.

Shared Belief was named Horse of the Meet after going unbeaten in three stakes – the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes on Dec. 26, the Grade 2 San Antonio Invitational on Feb. 7 (defeating 2014 Horse of the Year California Chrome), and the Big Cap on March 7.

Rafael Bejarano led all riders with 76 wins, 18 more than runner-up Tyler Baze. For Bejarano, 33, the title was his third consecutive at this meeting and the sixth in his career, all since 2007-08.

Jerry Hollendorfer led all trainers with 34 wins, one more than Peter Miller. Hollendorfer and Miller each led the standings in the final week of the meeting and were tied with 33 wins each going into Sunday’s final day. Hollendorfer, 68, tied with John Sadler for the training title at the 2013-14 winter-spring meeting.

Kosta and Peter Hronis led all owners with 13 wins, including two stakes wins by Kentucky Oaks hopeful Stellar Wind.