Handle on Travers Stakes card drops almost 10 percent vs. last year

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Handle on Saturday's 13-race Travers Stakes card at Saratoga Racecourse was $50.18 million, according to the New York Racing Association, down 9.7 percent from the record handle of $55.56 million last year, also on a 13-race card.

The $50.18 million figure this year was the fifth-highest of all time for a Travers card, in an era when racetracks bundle their best races on single race days to grab as much attention in the simulcast market as possible. The 2023 figure was the lowest since 2017, not counting the pandemic year of 2020.

On-track handle was $9.54 million, according to NYRA, down 8.7 percent compared to last year, when on-track betting was $10.37 million.

Paid attendance this year was 48,292, down slightly from the paid attendance figure of 49,672 last year. The weather this year was warm and humid, with a mid-card shower.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.