Attendance and All-Sources Handle Also Post Strong Increases Over 2006 Levels

On-track handle at the 2007 Saratoga Race Course meeting was $123,018,041, smashing the on-track handle record of $117,368,204 set during the 2003 Saratoga meet.

Attendance and all-sources handle for the 36-day meet that ended today posted significant increases over 2006 figures.

Attendance was up 5.7 percent, on-track handle up 8.5 percent, and total all-sources handle up 6.0 percent over 2006 figures.

Total attendance for the 2007 meet was 958,574, up from 908,569 in 2006.

On-track handle increased to $123,018,041, from $113,175,491 in 2006.

Total all-sources handle rose to $582,656,106 from $548,709,887 in 2006.

Including Monday’s final 10-race card, a total of 347 races were run at the 2007 Saratoga meet, compared to 336 in 2006 (when one racing day was canceled because of extreme heat).

Betting interests were up to 2,974 from 2,698 in 2006.

Daily average purses through Day 35 of the meet were $773,738, compared to $663,156 in 2006, a 16.7 percent increase.

Attendance figures for Giveaway Days included patrons who paid multiple admissions to obtain more than one giveaway item, either at the track entrance or at the multiple admissions area inside the track.

Hall of Fame jockey Bill Mott won his ninth Saratoga title with 27 wins, including Monday’s Grade 1 Hopeful with Majestic Warrior. Cornelio Velasquez won his first Saratoga jockey title with 44 victories, one more than Hall of Famer Kent Desormeaux.

“The 2007 Saratoga meet has been a smashing success,” said New York Racing Association President and CEO Charles Hayward. “On track, we saw sparkling performances from Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense in winning the Jim Dandy and Travers, as well as brilliant efforts by Lawyer Ron in following up his track record performance in the Whitney with his dominating win in the Woodward.

“The race for the jockey title has been exciting as well, with Cornelio Velasquez and Kent Desormeaux taking it right down to the last day. With good weather on our side, attendance and wagering exceeded our most optimistic expectations.

“I want to thank our fans, owners, trainers, jockeys and employees for making the 2007 Saratoga meet so memorable.”

The New York Racing Association Inc. (NYRA) is a private, non-profit racing association established in 1955, which owns and operates the three largest racetracks in New York - Aqueduct, Belmont Park and Saratoga. It is a non-profit, non-dividend paying corporation governed by a Board of Trustees, whose members, by law, receive no compensation or dividends. Since its inception, NYRA has contributed more than $3 billion in direct tax revenue to the State of New York.