Woodbine sees handle rise

Woodbine announced Wednesday that handle on their live Thoroughbred meet,

which concluded December 6, was up 7 percent over last year.

The all-sources total of $361,435,208 was wagered during the 167-day meet,

which began April 4, compared to the $337,660,570 recorded from the 167 dates

offered in 2008.

"We are especially proud of the healthy wagering increase on our 2009

Thoroughbred meet, as the industry is seeing a drop in betting overall," said

Sean Pinsonneault, Woodbine Entertainment's Vice-President of Wagering Services.

"Our fundamentals are strong. We have an excellent purse structure, big field

size, attractive betting offerings and quality horses and horse people

recognized throughout the world."

Most of the $23 million-plus increase in betting came from United States

sources. The Woodbine signal was prominent in the U.S. in 2009 as TVG, the

national racing channel, offered Woodbine racing for the first time.

"We wanted to raise our profile in the United States through various

strategies and it paid off for us with significant increased betting on our

product," Pinsonneault said. "Fans, on both sides of the border, respect the

high quality racing we offer."

Average field size at Woodbine was 9.1 horses per race this year, an increase

over the 9 figure recorded in 2008. The 2009 total includes a field size of 10

horses per race over the final five weeks of the meet.

Overnight and stakes purses, including supplements and nominations fees, paid

out in 2009 totaled $90.1 million, delivering an impressive $539,634 per card.

The 2010 Woodbine Thoroughbred season is scheduled for 167 days beginning

April 2.