The Maryland Jockey Club concluded the Laurel Park winter meeting Saturday, posting average wagering figures which were 18.8% lower than the 2013 winter meet. The average daily handle went from $1.85 million to $1.5 million. The 2014 meet included 42 live racing days, eight less than a year ago.
The track experienced across-the-board declines. Live handle fell more than 26 percent, import handle (wagering by bettors at Laurel on racing elsewhere) fell more than 20 percent, and export handle (wagering by players elsewhere on the Laurel live product) fell by nearly one-third.
Average daily handle on Laurel’s live product, including both live and export, fell from more than $1.5 million to over $1.2 million, according to the track’s figures — a drop of nearly 20 percent.
The declines likely stem from several factors. Difficult weather in the mid-Atlantic cost the track several live days, and as a result, it carded eight fewer live days than a year ago — a drop of 16 percent. Moreover, many of the days the track did run were in inclement weather, driving away patrons.
The regional shortage of horses resulted in many tracks, including Laurel, scrambling to fill races. Twice late in the meet, the track filled just eight races, and in some of those, “filled” was a relative term; after scratches, 11 of those 16 races went off with six or fewer horses. Small fields are generally unattractive to bettors, especially simulcast players.
That shortage — and the cutthroat competition for betting dollars — was exacerbated by the ongoing battle over days between Florida’s Gulfstream Park and Calder Race Course. That battle led Calder to remain open during the winter months it usually closes, increasing the competition both for horses and for wagering dollars.
Finally, racing nationally continues to struggle. Handle nationally has declined by a third in recent years, and 2014 numbers through February were 2.2 percent behind 2013.
This meet was paid for by the horsemen- sounds like it will take a big bite out of the purse account. Of course the membership will never know as the MTHA meetings are closed with the board sworn to secrecy.
Chicken or the egg, low handle means low purses, which means low quality racing, which means fans move on to another pastime. Owners and trainers complain about purses but how about the fan who goes to watch racing and enjoy the total experience. A card full of maiden claimers, at a track which is not clean or well maintained, with a substandard PA system in an area which is increasingly congested and run down (I don’t think there is a decent bar or restaurant anywhere near Laurel) on a cold rainy winter day is not what you lay in bed and dream about. Everything considered, honestly I though the numbers would have been worse.