U.S. handle in June flat compared to 2019 despite fewer race days

Total handle on U.S. Thoroughbred races in June was statistically even with the wagering total for the same month in June of 2019, according to figures distributed by Equibase on Tuesday, despite a sharp decline in races held during June this year and the loss of two weekend dates.

June’s handle total of $933.15 million was up 0.22 percent over the June 2019 number, even though the number of races held this year dropped 12.6 percent, from 3,905 in 2019 to 3,413 this year. June of 2019 had 10 weekend dates, while June of 2021 had eight. Wagering on weekends is far higher than on weekdays.

Average wagering per race in June of this year was $292,478, up 14.7 percent compared to average wagering in June of 2019.

Month-to-month comparisons between 2021 and 2020 are largely meaningless due to the vast number of disruptions that took place across the U.S. socioeconomic landscape in the spring of 2020, when lockdowns due to the coronavirus pandemic remained in effect in many states. Bizarrely, total wagering in June of 2020 was slightly higher than wagering in June this year, despite a 37.3 percent difference in the number of races held in June of last year compared to June of this year.

For the year, total wagering on U.S. races is up 10.7 percent compared to the first six months of 2019, according to the Equibase figures, from $5.67 billion in 2019 to $6.28 billion in 2021. The total number of races held at U.S. tracks during the first six months of the year is down 9.5 percent when compared to the same time period in 2019.

Total purses distributed during June this year was down 10 percent compared to 2019, but that decline was rooted in the decline in race days and the lack of two weekend dates, when most tracks hold their richest races.