Opening weekend attendance at Saratoga down, betting total up

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Opening weekend of the 2019 season of racing at the Saratoga Race Course is in the books and we’re now getting a look at how attendance and betting numbers compare to previous years.

According to the New York Racing Association, all sources handled from opening day to Sunday totaled more than $73 million, a 2.5% increase compared to last year which saw just over $71 million.

However, while more money was wagered during the season’s opening days, attendance at the track was down. In 2018, NYRA says more than 109,000 people were in attendance. This year, that number decreased by nearly 4,000.

The track season began one week earlier this year, but that isn’t the only major change to the racing calendar; The track will now go dark two days a week, Monday and Tuesday. Races will now run only five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday. There are now 36 days of racing left at the Saratoga Race course.