Parx and Laurel enjoy big days at windows

Parx Racing and Laurel Park both had brisk business at the betting windows last Saturday.

The Parx card, which included the Pennsylvania Derby and Cotillion, had all sources handle of $8.96 million, a 12 percent increase over the $8 million bet in 2017.

The record Pennsylvania Derby Day handle is the $10.39 million bet in 2014 when Bayern won the Pa. Derby and California Chrome finished sixth. Untapable won that year’s Cotillion.

In 2016, Pennsylvania Derby Day handled $9.61 million. Connect beat Gun Runner that year and Songbird won the Cotillion.

De Francis Dash Day at Laurel handled $5.07 million, an increase of 35.5 percent from the $3.74 million bet a year ago. The De Francis card, which included seven stakes, handled $4.51 million in 2016.