Keeneland attendance and handle down slightly

LEXINGTON, KY. – Ontrack attendance and all-sources wagering are down marginally as the Keeneland meet approaches its end.

According to figures released Monday by track vice president Bob Elliston, attendance has averaged 15,660 per card, down 3.7 percent for the corresponding 2018 dates. All-sources betting has averaged $10,229,603, down 1.3 percent.

One difference worth noting is that Keeneland opened on a Thursday (April 4), with that date being used in comparison to a third Sunday last year. Only two Sunday cards were run this year, with both of them hampered by rain that forced five races off the turf.

“Those off-the-turf races hurt our field size,” Elliston said. “Otherwise, we’ve been pretty consistent in comparison to the 2018 numbers.”

◗ Morticia, winner of the April 13 Giant’s Causeway at Keeneland, could run back Derby week in the Unbridled Sidney at Churchill, said trainer Rusty Arnold, who originally had intended to wait for a June race at Belmont Park for the standout turf sprinter.

“She came out of it real well,” said Arnold, who has won with four of his last seven starters.

◗ Let’s Dial Minnie, who runs in the seventh race Wednesday, has a new trainer because Wayne Mogge recently gave up his training career to become year-round stall superintendent at Keeneland. Let’s Dial Minnie ran March 8 at Tampa Bay Downs as the final starter for Mogge, who sent out 558 winners in a career dating to 1991.

◗ Shaun Bridgmohan has two mounts on the Wednesday card at Keeneland when making his return to the saddle from a broken collarbone suffered in a March 5 spill at Fair Grounds. Bridgmohan has won more than 3,200 races.

◗ Favorites continue to win at an inordinately high rate at the Keeneland spring meet, accounting for 53 of the 122 races (43 percent) through last weekend.