field size

Total wagering and the number of race days were lower compared to a year ago in May, but available purses were on the uptick, according to information released by Equibase on Friday. Total wagering of $1,387,522,075 on races during the month represented a 4.01% decrease over the same period from 2025, while available purses of nearly $123 million were higher by 0.12%. The figure of over $118 million for paid purses in May was also up by 0.09%. As for the total number of race days, they decreased from 365...

An increase in race days in April 2026 led to bumps in both wagering and purses across the United States compared to April of 2025. The month saw 2,170 races (+2.99%) across 259 race days (+2.78%) which pushed wagering totals to $898,254,315 (+2.23%). Purses were also up, with paid purses jumping to $95,634,866 (+9.14%). Average wagering per race day dipped slightly to $3,468,163 (-0.53%) while field size also fell to 7.30 (-5.38%) and starts dropped to 15,837 (-2.55%). Year over year, available and paid purses remained in the green at...

According to figures released Monday by Equibase, all-sources pari-mutuel handle fell by 12.35% during the month of March. A total of $816,171,590 was wagered as compared to $931,156,615 in 2025. The month-over-month decline in handle was the worst since December 2024, when handle fell by 14.44%. In the category of average wagering per race day, the figure dropped by 12.01%, from $3,540,519 to $3,115,159. In March 2025, racing was held on five Saturdays. There were only four Saturdays during the month in 2026. With Saturday cards producing the highest handle...

Despite several cold and snowy weather-related cancellations, more race days and higher available and paid purses were amongst the positive economic trends year over year for the month of February. 230 race days (+5.02%) led to over $79,562,309 (+8.57%) of paid out purses last month spread over 2,001 races (+4.76%). Field size remained largely the same, dropping just slightly from 7.98 in 2025 to 7.78 this year while wagering was also down a bit from $771,126,687 to $756,813,375 (-1.86%). Average wagering per race day was the most noticeable decrease, with...

Wagering on U.S. races during the month of January experienced just over a six percent downswing from a year ago, but the number of race days was roughly 12 percent lower, according to information released by Equibase on Thursday. Total wagering of $753,930,913 on races during the month represented a 6.09% decrease over the same period from 2025, while available purses of over $73-million were lower by almost 13%. The figure of over $68.5-million for paid purses in January was also down by 13.69%. As for the total number of...

Wagering on U.S. races during the month of November experienced nearly an eight percent decrease and purses also saw a similar decline compared to a year ago, according to information released by Equibase on Friday. Total wagering of $848,116,672 on races during the month represented a 7.93% decrease over the same period from 2024, while available purses of over $118 million were lower by 7.76%. The figure of over $111 million for paid purses in November was also down by 7.49%. As for the total number of race days, they...

By a unanimous voice vote, the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) Aug. 25 passed rules changes regarding the elimination of most coupled 1 and 1A pari-mutuel entries. The changes align with a proposal that the board had first advanced back in March. The new rules had passed through a mandatory public commentary period after publication in the New York State Register. According to a brief written by NYSGC general counsel Edmund Burns that had accompanied the changes when they were first proposed back at the Mar. 24 meeting, the...

With 13 fewer races days compared to the same month last year, July saw most of its economic indicators down month over month. Some of the biggest changes occurred in available purses (-4.96%) and U.S. starts (-6.35%) with only average wagering per race day seeing a positive trend (+2.25%). The numbers were much the same when compared year-to-date with wagering (-2.56%), paid purses (-3.65%), race days (-4.19%), total races (-4.39%) and starts (-3.53%) all down while field size (+0.89%), average wagering per race day (+1.70%) and average available purses per...

Santa Anita Park's Hollywood Meet reached the halfway point by increasing the substantial gains in handle and field size through comparable dates from last year. The Hollywood Meet, which began on Apr. 18, saw purses increases of over 10% from last year's season while drawing runners from Northern California and leading to an 11% rise in field size at Santa Anita. Additionally, Santa Anita Park's handle is up 14% from 2024.  On-track attendance during Santa Anita's 90th year has remained steady with a 5%increase over 2024. The Santa Anita Hollywood...

Wagering on U.S. races dipped 5.16% to $878,811,558 (worldwide commingled figures) during the month of April in 2025 versus figures registered one year ago, according to an Equibase release of Thoroughbred Racing Economic indicators Monday. Conversely, average field size rose 2.29% from 7.54 in 2024 to 7.71 last month. Also up, average wagering per race day increased 1.24% to $3,487,347, while average available purses per day ticked up by 3.14% to $364,014. In year-to-date figures (2025 vs. 2024), wagering in the U.S. fell 3.77% to $3,384,083,316 (worldwide commingled wagering on...

February 2025 had 219 race days compared to 252 from the same month a year ago (-13.10%) leading to decreases in most major economic fields. In the same month over month comparison, average field size was up (+3.63%) as was average wagering per race day (+5.85%) and average available purses per race day (+3.49%). Total wagering was down on U.S. races (-8.01%) along with available purses (-10.07%), purses paid (-11.26%), total races (-11.33%) and starts (-8.11%). The stats are similar year over year with minor decreases on wagering (-2.73%) and...

In what is becoming a familiar trend for the sport of horse racing in North America, betting in 2024 declined by 3.35%. According to figures released Friday by Equibase, $11,265,210,514 was the all-sources yearly handle for 2024 for U.S. racing, down from 2023's total of $11,655,726,020. Handle was last up in 2021, but that was an outlier because those numbers were going up against 2020 figures when the pandemic shut down much of the sport. Prior to that, the last handle increase was in 2018. The more alarming trend is...