handle record

A record-shattering total of $25,385,003 was wagered on Saturday's 12-race card at Kentucky Downs, a press release from the track said late on Saturday. Six of the races were stakes. Each race featured at least 10 starters, and 10 races had 11 or more. The previous Kentucky Downs wagering record was the $21,184,941 wagered last year on the corresponding day, reflecting an increase this year of more than $4.2 million.

With a handle of $5,536,944 wagered on the 12-race "Preakness Preview Day" program at Laurel Park, the new Maryland Jockey Club (MJC) set a handle record Saturday, according to a release from the organization. Two "Win Today, See You in May events" were contested Saturday, as well as the first stakes races on turf in the state of Maryland for the year. The $150,000 Federico Tesio Stakes offered a fees-paid guaranteed spot in the starting gate for the GI Preakness Stakes, while the Weber City Miss Stakes offered the same...

At the completion of Wednesday's card, all-sources handle for the Saratoga meet stood at $709,437,410, which was enough to set an all-time handle mark for the historic race meet. After Wednesday, there were still five days left to the meet, which means the final handle number will shatter all records. The previous handle record was set in 2019, when $705,343,949 was wagered. With fans not allowed on-track last year due to COVID-19 concerns, the 2020 handle came in at $702.5 million. "The record-breaking handle numbers reflect the quality of racing...