Charles Town Reports Record Per-Race Handle

Officials at Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races report the track enjoyed record handle per race of $111,664 for its 1,447 races in 2015.

The $111,664 figure represents a 6.82% increase over 2014 and topped the prior record for handle per race of $110,247 set in 2012. Live and export handle per race both rose in excess of 6.5% over where they stood in 2014. 

Race days at Charles Town were down 7.8% to 177 compared with 2014 and total races declined 14.4% to 1,447, according to The Jockey Club Information Systems. With the decline in total races, total purses were down by more than $5 million to $27,499,725 and purses per race fell 3.2% to $18,895.

Charles Town Classic day in April produced a single-card record with $4,847,106 wagered on the 13-race program, with more than $2.4 million bet on the Charles Town Classic Stakes (gr. II) itself. Moved to daytime for the first time in its seven-year history, the Charles Town Classic day anchored a record month in April with $153,083 wagered per race, another all-time high for the track in a given month.  

The full list of all-time pari-mutuel marks set in 2015 includes:

• Highest all-sources handle per race ($111,664)

• Highest export handle per race ($105,763)

• Highest average all-sources handle per race in a single month (April 2013 - $153,083)

• Highest single card export handle (April 18 - $4,555,072)

• Highest single card all-sources handle (April 18 - $4,847,106)

• Highest single race handle (April 18, Charles Town Classic - $2,423,332)

• Largest Exacta pool (April 18 - $325,284)

• Largest Trifecta pool (April 18 - $278,412)

• Largest Superfecta pool (April 18 - $192,570)

• Largest Pick 4 pool (April 18 - $261,577)

"I'm once again incredibly proud of the job our entire team here did in bringing us to the point of being able to set a record for wagering volume per race," said vice president of racing operations Erich Zimny. "Setting a mark like that for a track that's been around more than 80 years is significant and a testament to all of their hard work and focus."

Some familiar names topped the jockey and trainer standings at Charles Town after its 2015 racing season concluded, including rider Jose Montano who waltzed to his fourth straight riding title, posting 230 wins. Montano bested runner-up Arnaldo Bocachica by 68 victories and the $3,382,109 his mounts earned also allowed him to top Bocachica in the earnings standings by more than $730,000.

Stalwart Charles Town conditioner Jeff Runco topped the trainer standings for a 10th consecutive year, as he saddled 152 winners at the track and moved into 14th place on the all-time list of winningest trainers in North America.

Charles Town's 2016 racing season begins Thursday, Jan. 7, with post time for the first race scheduled for 7:05 p.m. EST.