Average handle up Tampa Bay Downs

Tampa Bay Downs concluded its 2009-10 live racing meet on Sunday with

all-sources handle increasing to $380,938,090, up $6,739,919 or 1.8 percent.

This was accomplished despite three fewer racing days than the 2008-2009 season.

The average all-source daily handle is a new record for the Oldsmar, Florida,

oval, with $4,186,133 wagered daily on Tampa Bay Downs, a 5.2 percent increase.

This translates to $402,683 wagered per race, also a new record, up 6.2 percent

from last year's figures.

The track fared exceptionally well this season in the national marketplace

with the total average all-source handle reaching an all-time high," Tampa Bay

Downs' Vice President and General Manager Peter Berube said of the record

setting increases. "I'm pleased that we bucked national trends by climbing to

these record-setting levels, securing our position as the fourth most wagered on

racetrack in the nation during the winter months."

"Once again this season, our turf and dirt tracks continued to attract top

national performers, such as eventual Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Super Saver

(Maria's Mon), Grade 1 winners Dr. Zic (Milwaukee Brew) and Karelian

(Bertrando), dual Eclipse Award winner Gio Ponti (Tale of the Cat), as well as

Musket Man (Yonaguska), Uptowncharlybrown (Limehouse), Rule (Roman Ruler),

Schoolyard Dreams (Stephen Got Even), Odysseus (Malibu Moon) and Phola

(Johannesburg), among others," Racing Secretary Allison DeLuca said. "In

actuality, we have had four Grade 1 stakes winning alumni so far this year -- a

fact that is all the more thrilling when you consider that our racing season

just ended.

“Despite the fact that Tampa Bay Downs had three less days of racing and that

we went through a very wet winter, our turf races remained strong, numbering 205

throughout the 91 days. Purses showed only a slight decrease this year,

averaging $153,223, down 2.2 percent from the previous meet. However, activity

at the claims box picked up to show a gain of five more horses changing hands

from last year with a total of 153 horses claimed," DeLuca concluded.

The unseasonably frigid temperatures and the many Saturday programs impacted

by rain, which made race going uncomfortable in the open-air Tampa Bay Downs

facility, caused the average daily attendance to drop only 4 percent from the

2008-2009 meet and causing the average live on-track handle to decrease 14.7

percent.

"Considering that Tampa Bay has the third highest rate of unemployment in the

country for a major metropolitan area, combined with the fact that this was the

coldest winter on record according to the National Weather Service, it justifies

the decreases in our on-track handle and attendance," Berube said.