churchill downs wagering

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Churchill Downs concluded its 2006 Fall Meet on Saturday, Nov. 25, with solid gains in on-track wagering and a slight increase in average daily attendance.
The 132-year-old Louisville, Ky., racetrack hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships for a record sixth time on Saturday, Nov. 4, smashing previous records for on-track and all-sources wagering and drawing a crowd of 75,132, the third-highest attendance in Breeders' Cup history. Breeders' Cup wagering and attendance figures are not included in Churchill Downs' meet-end wagering and attendance figures. As such, average daily wagering and attendance numbers, comparing 20 days of racing in 2006 with a 21-day Fall Meet in 2005, are used for year-over-year comparisons.
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Off-track wagering, which includes money wagered on Churchill Downs races at simulcast-wagering outlets around the world, was $145.62 million over the 20-day period in 2006, compared to $157.73 million wagered over the 21-day meet in 2005. Average daily off-track wagering was relatively unchanged year-over-year, with $7.28 million wagered in 2006 versus $7.51 million in 2005, a dip of only 3.06 percent.
Total wagering was $172.24 million in 2006 versus $182.20 million in 2005, with average daily wagering from all sources down 0.81 percent to $8.61 million from the $8.68 million wagered in 2005.
Average daily attendance climbed slightly during the 2006 Fall Meet to 7,848, up 0.36 percent from the daily average of 7,820 in 2005. The average number of betting interests per race was 9.57 horses, a decline of 5.90 percent from the average of 10.17 in 2005.
Average daily purses for the 2006 Fall Meet were $486,974, up 1.74 percent from the average of $478,632 per day paid in 2005.
Churchill Downs President Steve Sexton said strong business levels during the meet's opening week helped fuel on-track wagering gains. "We broke from the gate with our innovative 'Stars of Tomorrow' program, featuring full fields of 2-year-old runners. We introduced the concept one year ago, and elected to open and close our 2006 Fall Meet with 'Stars of Tomorrow' race cards, based on their popularity with customers. Our fall stakes program, which was highlighted by Premium Tap's commanding performance in the Grade I Clark Handicap, continued to offer highly competitive racing to fans on track and around the country. We also enjoyed a strong Thanksgiving holiday weekend in terms of on-track attendance, and again served more than 7,000 traditional holiday meals in our dining areas to race fans who wanted to give thanks with friends and family under the Twin Spires.
"Overall, we are pleased with the results from our fall season and with the outstanding results our Churchill Downs team delivered on Breeders' Cup Day," Sexton concluded. "The home of the Kentucky Derby has established itself as the premier venue to host racing's Championship Day, and we extend our gratitude to our horsemen, employees, customers and the greater Louisville community for making the event a tremendous success."
Churchill Downs set new records for on-track and total wagering during the 23rd Breeders' Cup World Championships on Nov. 4, the first time the track hosted U.S. racing's richest day since 2000 - and since the sweeping $121 million renovation of the home of the Kentucky Derby was completed in 2005. Total wagering on the Breeders' Cup at Churchill Downs from outlets around the world was a whopping $140.3 million, 13.2 percent higher than the previous all-sources record of $123.9 million set in 2005 at Belmont Park. Patrons at Churchill Downs wagered a record $18.3 million on the 10-race card, besting the previous record of $16.3 million set at Santa Anita Park in 2003. Additionally, Churchill Downs can now take credit for the top five Breeders' Cup attendance totals, with this year's crowd of 75,132 registering as the third highest in Breeders' Cup history.
The 2006 Fall Meet saw first-time winners in all three of the categories that matched human competitors. Scott Blasi earned the first "leading trainer" title of his career as he saddled winners of 17 races. The victory total for Blasi, a 33-year-old native of Caney, Kan., and an 11-year assistant to three-time Churchill Downs training leader Steve Asmussen, included a pair of stakes victories by Stonestreet Stable LLC's unbeaten Tiz Wonderful, who won the $200,000-added Kentucky Jockey Club (Grade II) and the $100,000-added Iroquois (GIII). Todd Pletcher won three races on the meet's final day to edge Steve Flint 10-9 for second place.