Wagering record falls at Kentucky Downs meet

The $80,175,928 wagered from all sources was a record handle at the seven-day meet that ran from Sept. 1 through Wednesday at turf-only Kentucky Downs in south-central Kentucky. That figure is 8.2 percent higher than the former record of $74 million handled at a six-day meet in 2021.

Purse payouts amounted to more than $17.86 million, highest in the track’s 31-year history. Average field size was 10.6 horses per race, while favorites won at just a 21 percent clip (15 for 73).

Kentucky Downs actually raced on eight different dates because of partial rainouts on Sept. 3 and 11 and a full cancellation on Sept. 4, with makeup cards being held Sept. 5 and 13. In all, 73 races were run, nine more than during the six days last year.

On the track, Mike Maker earned a record seventh Kentucky Downs training title when setting several other new marks along the way. Maker had a remarkable 65 starters in winning 12 times for stable earnings of $2,340,436, all of them single-meet records. He is easily the all-time leading trainer in track history.

Tyler Gaffalione earned the riding title with nine winners, continuing his stranglehold on the top spot at major meets on the Kentucky circuit.

There was a six-way tie for leading owner (two wins each).