Handle on second leg of Florida sire stakes up 46 percent over last year
Handle on the Saturday races at Gulfstream Park, the second leg of four divisions of Florida sire stakes, was up 46 percent compared to a similar card in 2015, according to handle figures in official charts and information released by the track.
The massive increase came on a card with 13 races, compared to 12 on the comparable day with the four sire stakes last year, but still represented a major gain. Total handle on the Saturday card was $8.1 million, compared with $5.5 million on the corresponding 2015 program.
Handle on the two Florida sire stakes cards run so far in 2016, including the first leg of the series on Aug. 6, is up 35 percent over last year.
The final Florida sire stakes card, featuring the $500,000 My Dear Girl for 2-year-old fillies and the $500,000 In Reality for 2-year-olds, is Oct. 1. Each race is likely to have an undefeated starter who won impressively on Saturday - Cajun Delta Dawn for the My Dear Girl and Three Rules for the In Reality.