Through the first four months of the year, wagering on U.S. races fell 6.10% compared to the same time period in 2023, in figures released Monday by Equibase. A total of $3,516,968,001 was wagered through April this year, compared to $3,745,511,588 a year ago. Available U.S. purses dipped 1.17% from $366,620,431 in 2023 to $362,312,915 this year, with 80 fewer race days and 673 fewer races.
During the month of April, $926,855,960 was wagered on U.S. races, down 11.42% from last year's figure of $1,046,334,587. Available U.S. purses totaled $94,938,583, compared to $100,519,382 a year ago. There were 269 race days this April, down from 281 last April and the number of races declined from 2,351 to 2,245.
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