Sam Houston numbers drop

Sam Houston Race Park in Houston had declines in average daily handle and attendance during its 87-night Thoroughbred meet that closed Saturday.

The daily average all-sources handle on the track's live races at the meet was $1,933,257, down 11.6 percent from $2,185,639 daily at the 80-day 2003 meet.

Offsite handle on the track's races averaged $1,809,447, down 11 percent from $2,034,707 last year. Ontrack handle on live races was $123,810 a night, down nearly 18 percent from $150,932 last year.

Attendance averaged 3,048 a night, down just less than 3 percent from last year's 3,135.

Purses averaged $104,485 a card, down more than 10 percent from $116,683 last meet.

Steve Asmussen won his fourth Sam Houston training title with 60 victories from 210 starters. His stable earned $927,605. Jeremy Beasley won the riding title, his first at the track, with 100 winners from 451 starters. His mounts earned $1,207,058, a record for a jockey at the track. Jim Bausch was the leading owner with 15 wins from 107 starters, earning $101,841.