Belmont Stakes Handle Takes a Dip
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Creator and Irad Ortiz Jr.
With no Triple Crown on the line this year, betting on the Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets (gr. I) was well off the 2015 figure when American Pharoah capped his historic run.
According to the New York Racing Association, all-sources pari-mutuel handle for the June 11 card totaled $99,419,023, compared with $135,790,321 a year ago. The on-track crowd of 60,114 at Belmont Park wagered $11,694,847 compared with $16,950,758 in on-track betting in 2015.
This year, total wagering on the Belmont Stakes itself was $52,188,416, compared with $82,437,629 for American Pharoah’s Belmont.
Though down from last year, this year’s handle and attendance showed an improvement from figures in 2013, the last time there wasn't a Triple Crown on the line in the Belmont. That year, NYRA reported attendance of 47,562, with all-sources handle of $88,528,542, on-track wagering of $10,769,369, and total handle of $51,872,013 on the Belmont race.