Total wagering on Thoroughbred races at U.S. racetracks in September dropped nearly 6 percent on a sharp decline in the number of races held during the month, according to figures released by Equibase on Monday.
Total wagering fell from $783.8 million in September of last year to $737.3 million, a decline of $46.5 million. The number of races dropped 7.0 percent, from 2,996 in September of last year to 2,786.
With the number of races declining at a greater rate than handle, the average amount bet per race in September was up 1.2 percent, from $261,612 during September of last year to $264,643 this year.
September of this year had eight weekend dates, compared to nine weekend dates in September last year. Wagering is typically far higher on weekend dates than weekdays.
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Field size continued to decline compared to September of last year after showing some signs of moderating early in the year. For September of this year, field size was 7.19 horses per race, down 0.8 percent compared to an average of 7.25 horses per race in September of last year.
The total amount of purses paid during the month was $123.3 million, down 5.9 percent compared to total paid purses of $131.1 million in September of last year. Average purse was $44,275, up 2.4 percent compared to average purse of $43,757 in September of last year.
* In other business news, total wagering over last weekend, one of the biggest weekends of the year aside from Triple Crown events or the two-day Breeders’ Cup event, was $154.1 million from Friday to Sunday, down $3.6 million compared to the comparable three-day stretch in 2024, or 2.9 percent, according to an analysis by Daily Racing Form.
The number of races held during the three-day stretch was 374, compared to 394 last year. Average betting per race for the period this year was $411,966, up 2.3 percent over the average last year of $402,756.
Keeneland opened its fall meet on Friday and held a slew of Breeders’ Cup prep races over the weekend. Aqueduct and Santa Anita also held a number of Breeders’ Cup preps on their Saturday and Sunday programs.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.