Wagering record shattered; daily average close to $10 million

All-sources wagering at the 2020 Runhappy meet at Kentucky Downs totaled $59,828,444, crushing the former record set at the turf-only track in south-central Kentucky.

The six-day meet ran Sept. 7 through Wednesday, with a Tuesday substituting for a Sunday because of a rainout. The former record for gross handle ($41.2 million) was set last year during a five-day meet. Per-day handle averaged nearly $10 million, and a single-day record of more than $17.4 million was set last Saturday.

Distribution of purses totaled $12,337,000 for a per-card average of just more than $2 million. Field size averaged nearly 10 starters per race, and betting favorites won at a 27 percent clip (17 for 63).

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No spectators were allowed throughout the meet because of the ongoing global pandemic, with the vast majority of wagering being made through offtrack sources.

◗ Tyler Gaffalione earned his first Kentucky Downs riding title with 11 winners. Gaffalione, 26, has been the leading jockey at a number of major venues, including Gulfstream Park, Churchill Downs, and Keeneland.

Mike Maker, with eight winners, topped the trainer standings for the fifth time, while the Three Diamonds Farm of Kirk Wycoff, one of Maker’s clients, was the leading owner with four wins.

◗ An erroneous order of finish was posted following the third race Wednesday, although it was soon changed to reflect the correct finish prior to the results being declared official. The initial version had Tiz Splendid News defeating Sir Roberto in a tight photo, but upon further review (and the toteboard going blank), the top two were switched, with the proper order of 1-8-5-2 being posted. Purse and mutuel payoffs were unaffected.