Saratoga handle flat compared to 2023
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Through 19 days of the 40-day Saratoga meet, business is basically flat compared to last year.
According to figures provided by the New York Racing Association, all-sources handle was $380,201,041, a 0.1 percent decrease from last year’s figure of $380,474,297.
There have been 194 races run so far this meet with 73 on turf and 21 off, compared to last year when there were 194 races run with 72 on turf and 26 taken off and run on dirt. The average number of betting interests at this meet has been 7.94 compared to 7.62 last year through this same point of the meet.
Paid admissions through the first 19 days is 493,994, a 3.1 percent decline from 509,741 last year.
Mother Nature took her toll on Saratoga in the fourth week of the meet. Only 10 of 25 scheduled turf races were able to be run on turf. On Saturday’s Whitney card, four scheduled turf races were rained off to dirt and two were canceled and rescheduled for this Saturday.
With NYRA having had to cancel many multiple-race wagers last Saturday, handle on Whitney Day was $26,991,174, a 31.7 percent decrease compared to $39,518,559 in 2023.
Chad Brown leads all trainers in wins with 19, seven more than Mike Maker and Todd Pletcher. Irad Oritz Jr. has a 26 to 24 lead over Flavien Prat for leading rider. Klaravich Stables has a 7 to 6 lead over Flying P for leading owner.
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