The Maryland Jockey Club announced Saturday that total handle on races at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course in 2017 exceeded $600 million for the first time since 2008. Total handle was $627.3 million compared to $560.1 million in 2016 while average handle was $3.3 million, up from $3.091 million in 2016. There was also a significant increase from in-state handle, from $408.6 million to $442.1 million. Wagering on racing at Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course has been up year-over-year since 2015 and is up $216 million since 2014.
The GI Preakness S.–the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown–set all-time records for its 142nd running May 20 when a record crowd of 140,327 fans wagered a record $97,168,658, an increase of 3% over the previous year. The 32nd anniversary of Maryland Million Day attracted a festive crowd of 22,682, an increase of 4.4% over last year, while in-state handle on the program was up 2.8% over the previous year.
“We're happy to continue seeing increases in handle while making our product more available and accessible to the public through our growing OTB Network,” said Sal Sinatra, President and General Manager of the Maryland Jockey Club. “Our major race days continue to grow and we continue to emphasize the incredible entertainment opportunities available at our facilities. We've had wonderful support throughout the year from horsemen across North America and we continue seeing new stables participating in our races at Pimlico and over our world-class turf course at Laurel. We will continue to work on improvements throughout our facilities, on our stakes and racing program, and growing our brand with world-class racing and entertainment.”
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