Turfway wraps up meet with slight dip in handle

Average handle per race at the recently completed Turfway Park meet in Florence, Ky., was down 3.8 percent compared to the prior winter-spring meet, though the average purse was up 7.0 percent, according to an analysis of the track’s charts.

Total handle for the 47-day meet of $170.79 million was nearly identical to the prior 50-day meet, but Turfway added races to its cards this year due to local demand from horsemen, who have been increasingly staying in Kentucky during the winter months due to significant purse increases on the circuit over the past five years. Average handle for the 456 races held during the meet was $374,530, down from $389,471 for 438 races held in the prior meet.

Field size was down slightly, from 9.25 horses per race to 9.15 horses per race. Both figures are considered robust in the modern age of racing, and they were particularly strong considering persistently cold weather during January and February worsened by several strong winter storms that led to both racing and training cancellations.

Total purses distributed at the meet was $20.95 million, up 11.4 percent over the total of $18.80 million distributed during the prior meet. Average purse jumped to $45,945.

Turfway is owned by Churchill Downs Inc., which went on a buying spree in Kentucky over the past decade after embracing historical horse racing machines. Revenues from the machines are used to subsidize purses on the Kentucky circuit.

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