Meadowlands all-sources handle dips 4 percent

Total handle from all sources declined 4 percent from 2007 for the Meadowlands Racetrack meet that ended Saturday night.

On the up side, average attendance, which includes all daytime simulcast patrons, rose 13 percent.

The average all-sources handle on the Meadowlands races was $1,406,433 while attendance averaged 3,556.

The comparisons are skewed by differences in the schedules for the last two meets.

With Monmouth Park hosting the Breeders' Cup in 2007, the Meadowlands opened early on Sept. 3 and ran through Nov. 10. There was no live racing at the Big M during Breeders' Cup week in late October. In 2007, the Meadowlands ran five cards a week for a total of 41 dates.

The 2008 schedule was tightly compressed, six days a week from Sept. 30 to Nov. 15. There were 41 dates scheduled; one card was canceled because of weather conditions after only two races.