Kentucky Downs smashes old handle record

All-sources handle at a six-day Kentucky Downs meet that ended Sunday was $74,088,532, easily breaking the record of $59.8 million set last year at the turf-only track in south-central Kentucky. A single-day handle record of $20,849,967 also was established Saturday on the 11-race Calumet Turf Cup card, surpassing the former mark of $17.4 million.

Sixty-four races were run this year (as opposed to 62 races during the six-day 2020 meet), with favorites winning 22 of them (34.4 percent). Field size averaged 10.2 starters per race.

Joel Rosario not only set a Kentucky Downs record for most wins (17) at a single meet by a jockey, but also for earnings, with $2,952,097. Tyler Gaffalione was second with eight wins.

Steve Asmussen, Mike Maker, and Brendan Walsh tied for leading trainer at the meet with four wins apiece, followed closely by six more trainers with three wins each. Godolphin led all owners with four wins and more than $1 million in stable earnings.

Picture worth 1,000 words

Steve Asmussen began this week with an all-time record 9,485 wins in his Hall of Fame training career, but perhaps none came in more fortuitous fashion than the race won by Treaty of Paris last Thursday at Kentucky Downs.

“I can’t think of a luckier head-bob I’ve ever won,” said Asmussen.

The finish of the $30,000 conditioned-claiming race almost had to be seen to be believed. Treaty of Paris appeared beaten by Swanage just a few yards from the wire, and even under the wire and beyond it, the result seemed clear. Somehow, the photo-finish camera depicted Treat of Paris winning by less than an inch.

“That was all bob,” said a grinning Asmussen.