Wagering down 6 percent in June

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Thoroughbred racing's economic indicators showed more declines in June, according to Equibase, which tracks parimutuel handle, purses, and number of racing days.

In June, wagering on U.S. racing fell almost 6 percent from 2009's June total of $993,644,026 to $935,843,769. Those figures include worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races.

June purses fell less steeply, declining 1 percent from $101,120,530 to $99,894,015. Race days also dropped from 620 last June to 600 this year.

Year-to-date figures continued a recent trend of decreases. Equibase reported that wagering on U.S. races year-to-date dropped off by 8 percent to $5,984,587,892 compared to the first six months of 2009. Likewise, purses declined 6 percent to $476,571,090, a loss buffered in part by slot-machine revenue. Race days year-to-date also fell 6 percent, from 2,814 in 2009 to 2,644.

Correction: A previous version of this article misstated a comparison period for wagering, purse figures, and race days. The figures show year-to-date 2010 vs. year-to-date 2009, not the last 12 months.