NYRA: Betting for Saratoga summer meet up, attendance slightly dips with one day of racing canceled
Total wagering at Saratoga Race Course topped $800 million and paid attendance exceed 1 million for the 2024 meet, NYRA announced Monday.
The total handle was up 3.2% to $803.8 million with an average daily handle of $20.6 million. Total wagering at the track – compared with off-track or online – dipped slightly from $142.3 million to $136.3 million.
Attendance daily attendance decreased by 2.5% to 26,951. The meet was one day shorter – 39 days instead of 40 – because of the cancellation of racing on Friday, Aug. 9 after the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby hit the area.
There were 412 races this year – 257 on dirt and 155 on the turf. That compares with 270 on dirt and 140 on turf last year.
Saratoga Race Course hosted the Belmont Stakes in June, before the summer meet, because of construction at Belmont Park. Total wagering was $63 million, which NYRA said was an all-time record in a year in which there was no chance for a Triple Crown winner possible.