3 years ago
297
Less truly is more.
The latest grounds successful enactment of that maxim comes from Del Mar and Saratoga, some of which smashed grip records astatine their just-concluded summertime meets.
Saratoga blasted past its erstwhile precocious people of $705 cardinal from 2019, with $815.51 cardinal and alteration passing done the windows and computers during its 40-day conscionable that ended connected Labor Day.
If you don’t privation to whip retired your calculator, that works retired to a 15.6 summation and an mean regular haul of $20.39 cardinal contempt a just fig of weather-hampered days.
The historical upstate New York way besides had fans pouring done the turrets, with attendance reported astatine 1.05 million. That’s successful opposition to past year, erstwhile COVID-19 cleared the grandstands astatine some tracks.
Del Mar’s summertime program, meanwhile, which was climbing disconnected the gurney past twelvemonth aft being forced to cancel a weekend’s worthy of races pursuing a slew of COVID cases successful the jockeys’ room, rebounded nicely arsenic well.
The seaside way took successful $569.98 cardinal astatine a grounds regular complaint of $18.38 cardinal implicit its 31 days of racing, vs. $431.9 cardinal – oregon conscionable astir $12 cardinal a time — implicit 36 days of racing successful 2019.
That included a caller single-day betting people erstwhile conscionable implicit $36 cardinal was wagered connected the 11-race Pacific Classic time card, shattering the erstwhile grounds of $25.9 cardinal acceptable connected Pacific Classic time successful 2018.
The surge was successful ample portion driven by tract size, which accrued from an mean of 8.36 starters per contention successful 2020 to 8.45.
The connection should beryllium wide here, peculiarly arsenic Kentucky Downs concludes its superb six-day gathering this weekend: Shorter meets oregon less racing days each week assistance tracks enactment connected afloat absorbing races that pull much betting.
Yes, it helps if you are located successful an country wherever station cards are a large root of revenue. But arsenic Kentucky Downs has proven, it’s not a requirement
That’s worthy superior information by way executives and racing authorities arsenic the colonisation of racehorses continues to dwindle and the athletics faces expanding wagering competition.
Kentucky Downs ties a bow connected meet
Speaking of Kentucky Downs, the lone European-style turf way successful the U.S. has 2 much racing days near earlier it wraps up its two-weekend run.
Saturday’s paper is peculiarly strong, with 5 stakes races headlined by the $1 cardinal Calumet Turf Cup Stakes, a Grade 2 contention for 4-year-olds and up astatine 1½ miles that features two-time contention victor Arklow and Zulu Alpha, victor of the 2020 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (Grade 1) among different apical turf runners.
Trainer Mike Maker, the all-time starring trainer astatine Kentucky Downs, volition person ‘em surrounded, saddling 5 — and perchance six if Dynadrive draws successful from the also-eligible database — of the 12 horses expected to commencement successful the race, including Zulu Alpha.
Sunday’s paper offers 3 much stakes, capped by the $550,000 Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon Stakes for fillies and mares astatine 1 5/16ths miles.
I mentioned past week that galore handicappers conflict to find winners implicit the unsocial undulating oblong course, but it took lone 2 words to guarantee a bully time astatine the windows implicit the archetypal 2 days of racing astatine the Franklin, Kentucky, way co-owned by Las Vegas nonmigratory Ron Winchell. They were “Joel” and “Rosario.”
The peripatetic rider won 10 races retired of the 17 helium rode, returning a level $40 nett to anyone who blindly backed him with $2 triumph bets during his opportunities.
Mike Brunker’s equine racing file appears Fridays. He tin beryllium reached astatine mbrunker@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4656. Follow @mike_brunker connected Twitter.
English (US) ·