Woodbine sees year-over-year betting handle drop a bit in 2025

Total handle and average handle per race both declined slightly during Woodbine Racetrack’s recently concluded Thoroughbred meet despite a small uptick in purses, according to an analysis by Daily Racing Form.

Total wagering on Thoroughbred races during the 128-day meet dropped 3.9 percent, while average wagering per race declined 1.6 percent, according to the analysis. Woodbine raced 127 days this year, the same as 2024, but the track lost a number of races to weather cancellations, including five on Sunday, Woodbine’s closing day.

The number of turf races held in 2025 was down sharply, from 312 to 252, a 19.2 percent decline that likely impacted both handle and field size. The average field size for the meet dropped nearly half a horse, from 8.09 last year to 7.67 this year.

Earlier this year, Woodbine, a nonprofit company, reached an agreement with its horsemen guaranteeing 128 days of live racing and roughly $85 million in purses for 2026. Total purse distribution during the 2025 meet was $83.3 million, up 1.6 percent compared to last year, while the average purse was up 3.6 percent to $73,484, according to the analysis.

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While handle was down, the declines this year were far smaller than in 2024, when total handle was down nearly 10 percent and average handle per race was down 8.3 percent. In 2024, the track attracted unwelcome scrutiny due to a spate of fatalities that led to increased oversight by provincial regulators and stricter medication regulations.

On the track, Rafael Manuel Hernandez won 148 races from 630 mounts to take the riding title, amassing $6.5 million in purse earnings. Pietro Moran was second with 139 wins from 833 mounts and $5.9 million in earnings.

Mark Casse ran away with the trainer’s title, winning 97 races from 494 starts and taking home $5.7 million in purse earnings. By wins, Martin Drexler was second with 81 victories, while Kevin Allard was second by purse earnings with $4.3 million from 65 wins.

Bruno Schickedanz easily won the owner’s title, with 79 wins from 438 starts and $2 million in purse earnings. No other owner had more than 27 wins during the meet.

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