Strong gains in attendance and handle have bolstered Santa Anita Park's figures as the 90-year-old oval heads into the final six weeks of its Classic Meet, the track said in a release on Wednesday.
On-track attendance is up over 9% from last season, hosting more than 203,000 visitors through last weekend. The handle bet on-track is up 4% from last year. Overall, the total all-sources handle to date is over $268-million, which is an increase from last year.
The addition of horses from Northern California horses has been impactful, with field size averaging nearly a full horse from the corresponding time last year. Santa Anita, which increased purses an average of 8% beginning this week, is heading into the height of its racing season.
With the warmer weather, the popular infield will be open on weekends beginning on Saturday, Mar. 1 through the end of the Hollywood Meet June 15.
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