Handle tops $1 billion at close of meet

ARCADIA, Calif. – Santa Anita concluded its six-month marathon meeting Sunday with growth in all-sources handle over the corresponding period in 2017. It was a successful season that led to a purse increase in the final month.

Tim Ritvo, chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, the track’s parent company, said Sunday evening that he hopes the momentum can be sustained during the six-week fall meeting that begins on the final weekend of September and into 2019 when the track hopes to host the Breeders’ Cup for the first time since 2016.

Ritvo said advanced discussions are under way with Breeders’ Cup officials about the 2019 event. The Breeders’ Cup has not made an announcement on a host venue following this year’s series, which will be held Nov. 2-3 at Churchill Downs.

“We’re still in negotiations,” Ritvo said. “We feel we have a good opportunity to get that. We’re hoping to be selected.”

Santa Anita has hosted the Breeders’ Cup a record nine times, a figure Churchill Downs will equal this year.

For the meeting that ended Sunday, gross handle surpassed $1 billion – to $1,018,268,137 – compared to $939,931,034 last year, an increase of 8.3 percent, according to figures provided by Ritvo. The average daily all-sources handle was $10,081,862, a gain of 5.1 percent.

Handle was strong enough for a 10 percent purse increase for the final four weeks of the season.

The weather cooperated with minimal rain this year compared to early 2017 when three days of racing were lost to wet conditions. Also in 2017, four days of racing were eliminated because of insufficient entries.

There were no racing days lost to insufficient entries this year, but one Thursday program in March was canceled because of excessive rain.

The better weather led to an increase in field sizes and more turf races. From Dec. 26 through Sunday, there were 908 races run with an average of 7.85 runners per race. In the corresponding period last year, there were 919 races run with 7.57 runners per race. This year’s meeting ended earlier than in 2017, when closing day was July 4.

“Everything went good,” Ritvo said. “We managed the turf course properly. The horsemen participated more. The purse increase helped.

“There are a lot of good things. Obviously, we need to keep working.”

This summer, Ritvo said the track will remodel dining facilities on two floors in the clubhouse at a cost of $1 million. Further enhancements are planned for sections of the grandstand.

On the racetrack, Flavien Prat was the leading rider at the spring-summer portion of the meeting, which began April 13. Prat won 39 races, 11 more than Geovanni Franco.

Doug O’Neill led all trainers in that span with 31 wins, two more than Phil D’Amato.

Accelerate, winner of the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita on May 26, was named horse of the meeting. Accelerate is owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis and trained by John Sadler.