Belmont Stakes Day smashes NYRA wagering records

With a Triple Crown bid on the line and 10 outstanding

stakes races on the card, this year's Belmont Stakes Day proved to be a smashing

hit, with the on-track handle of $19,105,877 and all-sources handle of

$150,249,399 easily setting all-time NYRA records.

The on-track handle figure includes money wagered at

Belmont Park, Aqueduct  and through NYRA Rewards.

The attendance was 102,199, the third highest in Belmont

Stakes history. The Belmont Stakes attendance record remains 120,139, which was

set in 2004 when Birdstone denied Smarty Jones a sweep of the Triple Crown. The

attendance in 2002, when War Emblem came up short in his Triple Crown bid, was

103,222.

The previous on-track ($14,742,520) and all-sources handle

($124,009,593) records were set on October 29, 2005, when Belmont Park hosted the

Breeders' Cup.

The previous Belmont Stakes Day handle records were set in

2004, with $14,461,402 wagered on track and $110,994,390 wagered from

all-sources.

"We're so proud of this record-breaking day of racing at

Belmont Park and give our special thanks to the more than 102,000 fans who

joined us this afternoon," said Chris Kay, president and CEO of the New York

Racing Association (NYRA).

"Congratulations to our 146th Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist and his connections for an outstanding performance in the 'Test of the

Champion.' Thanks also to the great run from California Chrome, whose terrific

story captivated the nation for the past five weeks.

"We are also extremely

pleased with the terrific lineup of 10 stakes races propelling our handle to an

all-time Belmont Stakes Day and Belmont Park record of more than $150 million in

total wagering and more than $19 million bet on track.

"To top it off, we had

sparkling entertainment lineup led by LL COOL J, Frank Sinatra Jr., and Dee Riscoli from the Tony Award-winning cast of

'Wicked.'"

The telecast of the 2014 Belmont Stakes received an

overnight rating of 12.9 and a share of 29, the second highest in the race's

history, according to figures provided by NBC.

The figure beat the ratings from 2008, the last time a

horse competed in the Belmont with a chance to sweep the Triple Crown. ABC's

telecast of Da' Tara's victory in the 2008 Belmont received a rating of 9.5 and

a share of 21.

The record for a Belmont Stakes telecast was set in 2004

when Birdstone denied Smarty Jones a sweep of the Triple Crown, with NBC

receiving a rating of 15.6 and a share of 31.

The telecast of the 2014 Belmont Stakes preceded NBC's

telecast of Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final between the New York Rangers and Los

Angeles Kings, which received an overnight rating of 4.6, a record for a Game 2

on NBC or on the NBC Sports Network.

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