Spring meet business helps offset winter doldrums at Aqueduct

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After a harsh winter weather-wise and at the entry box, the New York Racing Association enjoyed a pleasant April at Aqueduct.

All-sources handle for 13 days of racing at Aqueduct from April 6 through 22 was approximately $95.7 million, up 14.7 percent compared with the corresponding 13-day period in 2017, when Aqueduct handled $83.4 million.

The uptick in business helped stem the tide of a dismal winter impacted by extreme cold and snow that prompted seven straight cancellations to begin the year. Total all-sources handle at Aqueduct for 54 cards run from Jan. 1 through Sunday was $322,323,808, down 15.1 percent from 2017 when 60 cards were run at Aqueduct from Jan. 1 through April 22 and handle was $379,859,331. Average daily handle at Aqueduct was $5,968,959 in 2018, down 5.7 percent from the 2017 average of $6,330,988.

Ontrack handle for the first four months at Aqueduct was $38,389,865, down from $46,459,386 in 2017.

With a second turf course and decent weather in April, Aqueduct conducted all 47 turf races it carded over 13 days, not having to take a single one off the turf due to inclement weather. In April 2017, when Aqueduct operated with just one turf course, it held 30 turf races in the spring with only two taken off the turf.

The availability of the turf helped Aqueduct average 7.29 horses per race in April, up from 6.79 in April 2017. From Jan. 1 through March 31 – when only dirt racing was conducted – field size was 6.91, down from 7.34 during last year’s winter meet.

Martin Panza, NYRA’s senior director of racing operations, said it was too early to predict what next year’s winter schedule would look like.

“We’ll sit down, look at the numbers, brainstorm with NYTHA,” said Panza, referring to the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association. “We got to get dirt horses to stay in New York in the winter.”

Trainer Chad Brown won all three races in which he had runners at Aqueduct on Sunday to complete a spectacular spring meet, winning 15 races from 39 starters to capture his first spring trainer title. Linda Rice finished second with 11 wins.

Irad Ortiz Jr. also had a three-win day Sunday and won his second straight Aqueduct spring riding title with 24 wins, seven more than Manny Franco.

Seth Klarman’s Klaravich Stables was leading owner with five wins.