Santa Anita's opening-day business up from last year
ARCADIA, Calif. - Attendance and handle showed growth from last year on Monday’s opening day of the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting.
According to figures released by the track, ontrack attendance was 46,514, a gain of 3.5 percent over 44,873 on opening day of the 2015-16 winter spring meeting on a Saturday.
Ontrack handle was $3,633,235, a gain of 3.5 percent, while all-sources handle, including simulcast and account wagering, was $18,363,497, a gain of 5.5 percent over the 2015 figure of $17,406,121.
Track officials are hoping to build on that success when racing resumes on Thursday for a five-day racing week that runs through Monday. There are four graded stakes over the weekend, including the $300,000 American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies on turf on Saturday. Sunday’s program is led by the $200,000 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, which is expected to include Arrogate, the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 5.
Thursday’s eight-race program, which begins at 12:30 p.m. Pacific, has two carryovers in the $2 pick six - $115,062 in the main pool and $24,656 in the single-ticket jackpot pool. The single-ticket pool is paid only when there is a single winning ticket.