Wagering on U.S. Races Falls About 4% in May
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Preakness (gr. I) day registered record handle but with the Kentucky Derby (gr. I) day handle down slightly from last year's record mark, wagering on U.S. races in May fell 3.95% when compared with the same month last year.
According to the Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators released June 4 by Equibase, $1,219,536,873 was wagered on U.S. races in May, down nearly 4% from last year's $1,269,632,905.
Besides the slight dip in handle on Derby day, the year's biggest day of wagering, May numbers were impacted by a 12% reduction in races to 3,662 this year. That reduction also contributed to a 9.35% slide in purses to $100,167,344. Last year there were five Saturdays in May, compared with four this year.
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Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators
For May 2016 |
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May 2016 vs. May 2015 |
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Indicator |
May 2016 |
May 2015 |
% Change |
|
Wagering on U.S. Races* |
$1,219,536,873 |
$1,269,632,905 |
-3.95% |
|
U.S. Purses |
$100,167,344 |
$110,493,169 |
-9.35% |
|
U.S. Race Days |
446 |
508 |
-12.20% |
|
U.S. Races |
3,662 |
4,176 |
-12.31% |
|
U.S. Starts |
27,523 |
31,171 |
-11.70% |
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YTD 2016 vs. YTD 2015 |
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Indicator |
YTD 2016 |
YTD 2015 |
% Change |
|
Wagering on U.S. Races* |
$4,646,931,390 |
$4,551,930,279 |
+2.09% |
|
U.S. Purses |
$387,985,313 |
$397,466,487 |
-2.39% |
|
U.S. Race Days |
1,673 |
1,786 |
-6.33% |
|
U.S. Races |
14,088 |
14,911 |
-5.52% |
|
U.S. Starts |
111,253 |
115,929 |
-4.03% |
| * Includes worldwide commingled wagering on U.S. races. | |||