Saratoga season ends with record-breaking total handle
SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (AP) — The Saratoga thoroughbred racing season has ended with a record-breaking amount wagered over the 40-day meet at the historic upstate New York track. The New York Racing Association (NYRA) says Saratoga Race Course set a record for all-sources wagering with a total handle of more than US$676.7 million.
That’s 4.4 per cent higher than the previous record, set in 2015. NYRA says the on-track handle from all sources was US$157 million, a 3.4 per cent increase over last season.
Some 31,000 fans attended last Monday’s closing day, pushing total paid attendance to more than 1.1 million, down slightly from the 2016 season.
Todd Pletcher won the Saratoga training title with 40 wins, edging Chad Brown’s 39. Jose Ortiz rode 58 winners to win the jockey title for the second consecutive year, beating out his brother Irad Ortiz Jr, who had 53.
