Saratoga: Attendance rises, handle declines after wet summer
The 40-day summer meet at Saratoga generated more than 1.1 million in paid attendance for the first time since 2018 and nearly $800 million in all-sources handle.
Despite one of the wettest summers in history, which forced an unprecedented 65 races off the turf, all-sources handle totaled $799,229,288 with paid attendance continuing its steady climb to 1,105,683. The handle was the third largest in Saratoga’s history, and this summer also marked the eighth consecutive season with attendance exceeding 1 million fans, excluding the COVID summer of 2020.
Saratoga by the numbers, 2023 vs. 2022
Inclement weather forced 65 races off the turf, compared with 16 in 2022, which largely accounted for the 9 percent decline in all-sources handle when compared with the record-setting wagering in 2022.
Average daily paid attendance surged past 27,000 for the first time since 2019 to finish at 27,642.
Total paid attendance: 1,105,683 vs. 1,075,586, up 2.8 percent
Average daily paid attendance: 27,642
Races off the turf: 65 vs. 16, up 306 percent
Races cancelled because of weather: 4
All-sources handle: $799,229,288 vs. $878,211,963, down 9 percent
Average daily handle: $19,980,732
Total on-track handle: $142,918,763 vs. $152,274,728, down 6.1 percentr
Total races: 410 (270 dirt and 140 turf) vs. 417 (218 dirt and 199 turf)
Average field size: 7.64 vs. 7.76, down 1.6 percent
Number of timed workouts since Saratoga opened for training in April: 10,738