The Spa Spot: On-track figures down; total handle up
Total handle remains ahead, but on-track attendance and handle are down through the first 22 days of the 2012 Saratoga season.
NYRA has run nine more races this year.
Rainy weather had a negative impact on Saratoga during the racing week that concluded Monday. Thirteen of the 17 turf races scheduled to be run during the weekend were moved to the main track.
The total handle of $310,065,500 is up 6.5 percent from 2011.
The on-track attendance is down 1.9 percent to 465,293. The on-track handle of $66,113,956 is off slightly, eight-tenths of a percent.
NYRA's on-track figures got a nice boost on Monday with attendance up 6,546, the handle up by $920,202 and total handle up $2,768,939.
Average betting interests are 8.3 compared to 8.4 in 2011. NYRA has run 93 turf races and 26 have been taken off the turf. Last year there were 92 turf races run and 17 were taken off the grass.