Saratoga meet closes with record handle

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Blessed by beautiful weather, full fields, and the appearance of a Triple Crown winner, Saratoga set records for all-sources and ontrack handle in 2015.

All-sources handle at the 40-day meet that concluded Monday was $648,272,805, a 12.7 percent increase over last year’s total of $575,072,211. This year’s figure broke the previous record of $590,187,876, set in 2012.

Ontrack handle was $157,647,599, a 4.8 percent increase over last year’s figure of $150,387,443. The previous record for ontrack handle was $150,637,998, set in 2012.

Ontrack handle includes money bet on Saratoga’s races at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and through the NYRA Rewards platform.

“It has been fantastic,” said Chris Kay, the New York Racing Association’s president and chief executive. “We’re very grateful that we’ve been blessed with incredibly good weather, and we’re also very pleased that so many horseplayers around the country have wagered so heavily on our great races.”

Total paid attendance, which is not an accurate reflection on actual attendance, was 1,065,625, a 12.9 percent increase over last year’s figure of 943,168. NYRA incorporates season passes sold in its daily count whether that pass-holder attended the races or not.

There were 413 races run at both the 2015 and 2014 meets. There were 10 steeplechase races run this year, compared with 12 last year. Kay said NYRA would reevaluate the number of steeplechase races scheduled for 2016.

Consistently gorgeous weather enabled Saratoga to conduct a record 211 turf races, including seven on Monday’s closing-day card. Only eight scheduled flat turf races were moved to the dirt. Last year, there were 193 turf races run at Saratoga, with 28 moved to the main track.

The weather helped field size stay intact. There were 3,451 starters in 413 races, for an average field size of 8.35. Last year, there were 3,290 starters in 413 races, for an average field size of 7.97.

In addition to the weather, the presence of American Pharoah helped spice up an already beefed-up Travers Day card that included seven graded stakes, six of which were Grade 1s. NYRA capped the attendance at 50,000, which was the figure it announced as the Travers Day attendance, while all-sources handle was $49,668,753, a 24.4 percent increase over last year’s figure of $39,907,200.

Though final figures weren’t available, Kay said food-and-beverage and merchandise sales will be up somewhere between 13 percent and 15 percent over last year.

“What we are seeing are more people are staying for a longer period of time on our property, and that’s what is important,” Kay said. “It’s the best indicator we have that people are enjoying themselves.”

Though there is often talk about lengthening the meet – making it eight weeks with racing five days a week for six of those weeks – Kay said that would not happen next year. If that is indeed the case, next year’s Saratoga meet will run from July 22 through Sept. 5.

“If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” Kay said. “At the moment, I’d say we’ve had a pretty successful meet.”

Todd Pletcher won his sixth straight and 12th career Saratoga training title, 34-31, over Chad Brown, who finished second to Pletcher for the fifth consecutive year. Brown had a 30-26 lead entering the final six days of racing but went winless with 25 starters in 20 races before Theory of Change won Monday’s sixth race. Pletcher, who went 1 for 29 over 26 races from Aug. 13-28, rebounded during the final week, winning seven races, including a pair of Grade 1 races Saturday – the Woodward and Spinaway.

Irad Ortiz Jr. won his first Saratoga riding title, 57-53, over Javier Castellano, who had won the previous two titles. However, Castellano won six Grade 1 races: a record fifth Travers, the Alabama, Whitney, Woodward, Alfred G. Vanderbilt, and Monday’s Hopeful.

“It’s great, it’s a dream come true,” said Ortiz, who finished second to Castellano last year. “To win a title at Saratoga is exciting for any jockey. I’m so happy and so thankful to all the owners and trainers who supported me.”

Michael Dubb won the owners’ title with 12 wins, but Stonestreet Stables may have had the best meet, winning 7 of 14 races, including three Grade 1s and a Grade 2.