Total handle during Turfway Park’s 70-day race meet that concluded Sunday was up 29.0 percent compared to last year’s 66-day meet, according to figures compiled by Daily Racing Form from Equibase charts. Total handle was $246.6 million for the meet, which started on Nov. 29, or $3.52 million per day. During the previous meet, total handle was $191.1 million, or $2.90 million per day. Per race, handle was $398,979, up 14.6 percent compared to the per-race handle during the previous meet. During the meet, Turfway ran 618 races over the 70 days, for an average of 8.8 races per day, compared to 549 races over the 66-day meet that straddled 2022-’23, or 8.3 races per day. Handle has skyrocketed at Turfway Park since Churchill Downs, Inc., the track’s parent, constructed a casino at the track that has begun generating generous purse subsidies for the track’s races. Churchill purchased the track in 2019 for $46 million. Total purses distributed at the meet was $26.2 million, a gain of 2.2 percent over the previous meet, when purses were raised nearly 25 percent. Per race, the average purse was $42,425, down 10.2 percent from the average purse of $46,735 for the previous meet. Field size during the meet was 9.5 horses per race, compared to 9.92 horses per race last year. Turfway races exclusively on an artificial surface. :: Bet the races with a $200 First Deposit Match + FREE All Access PPs! Join DRF Bets.