Handle on U.S. Races Down About 3% in June
Image:
Description:
Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Wagering fell in June compared with the same month last year.
With June's biggest race day seeing a significant decline in pari-mutuel handle, wagering on United States. races for the month also declined compared with the same month in 2015, according to the Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators released by Equibase July 5.
Without a Triple Crown on the line this year, wagering on the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) day program fell 27% compared with 2015 when American Pharoah completed a sweep of the three classics. With that drop on its biggest day, handle for the month on U.S. races was off 2.96% to $102,589,376.
Purses, on the other hand, were up 5.88% to $102,589,376, spurred, in part, by a 2.39% increase in races to 3,986.
Both of those trends bucked the year-to-date trend where purses are down 0.73% to $490.7 million and handle is up 1.24% to $5.5 billion. For the year, race days are down 4.69% to 2,176, which means average wagering per race day is up 6.21% to $2,548,125 and average purses per race day are up 4.15% to $225,519.
Beginning in July, the Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators offer expanded numbers that include average field size, average handle per race day, and average purses per race day.
|
Thoroughbred Racing Economic Indicators For June 2016 |
|||
|
June 2016 vs. June 2015 |
|||
|
Indicator |
June 2016 |
June 2015 |
% Change |
|
Wagering on U.S. Races |
$897,747,758 |
$925,090,282 |
-2.96% |
|
U.S. Purses |
$102,589,376 |
$96,890,009 |
+5.88% |
|
U.S. Race Days |
502 |
497 |
+1.01% |
|
U.S. Races |
3,986 |
3,893 |
+2.39% |
|
U.S. Starts |
29,528 |
28,763 |
+2.66% |
|
Average Field Size |
7.41 |
7.39 |
+0.26% |
|
Average Wagering Per Race Day |
$1,788,342 |
$1,861,349 |
-3.92% |
|
Average Purses Per Race Day |
$204,361 |
$194,950 |
+4.83% |
|
|
|||
|
2nd QTR 2016 vs. 2nd QTR 2015 |
|||
|
Indicator |
2nd QTR 2016 |
2nd QTR 2015 |
% Change |
|
Wagering on U.S. Races |
$3,046,468,226 |
$3,054,255,097 |
-0.25% |
|
U.S. Purses |
$293,380,925 |
$291,724,201 |
+0.57% |
|
U.S. Race Days |
1,329 |
1,368 |
-2.85% |
|
U.S. Races |
10,797 |
11,072 |
-2.48% |
|
U.S. Starts |
81,199 |
82,550 |
-1.64% |
|
Average Field Size |
7.52 |
7.46 |
+0.87% |
|
Average Wagering Per Race Day |
$2,292,301 |
$2,232,643 |
+2.67% |
|
Average Purses Per Race Day |
$220,753 |
$213,249 |
+3.52% |
|
|
|
||
|
YTD 2016 vs. YTD 2015 |
|||
|
Indicator |
YTD 2016 |
YTD 2015 |
% Change |
|
Wagering on U.S. Races |
$5,544,764,205 |
$5,477,020,560 |
+1.24% |
|
U.S. Purses |
$490,730,367 |
$494,356,496 |
-0.73% |
|
U.S. Race Days |
2,176 |
2,283 |
-4.69% |
|
U.S. Races |
18,079 |
18,804 |
-3.86% |
|
U.S. Starts |
140,827 |
144,692 |
-2.67% |
|
Average Field Size |
7.79 |
7.69 |
+1.23% |
|
Average Wagering Per Race Day |
$2,548,145 |
$2,399,045 |
+6.21% |
|
Average Purses Per Race Day |
$225,519 |
$216,538 |
+4.15% |
|
Notes: |
|||