The 22nd running of the Breeders’ Cup World Thoroughbred Championships at
Belmont Park last Saturday set three major wagering records — total handle,
Breeders’ Cup-only handle and simulcast handle.
Total all-sources handle for the 10-race card was a record $124,009,593. The
previous mark of $120,897,141 was set last year at Lone Star Park.
At Belmont Park, the crowd of 54,289 wagered $14,742,520 on the full 10-race
program, and $13,385,593 on the eight Breeders’ Cup races. The attendance was
the largest of the four Breeders’ Cup events held at the Long Island track. The
on-track handle was also a single-day Belmont Park record, eclipsing the mark of
$14,461,402 set on June 5, 2004, when Birdstone defeated Smarty Jones in the
Belmont S. (G1).
A record total of $116,465,923 was wagered at Belmont Park and at simulcast
outlets around the world on the eight Breeders’ Cup races. The total is a 6
percent increase over the old record of $109,838,668 set last year at Lone Star
Park.
A record was also established for total simulcast handle, as $109,267,073 was
wagered on the full 10-race card. Simulcasts accounted for 88 percent of the
$124 million total handle.
For the first time, all wagers from Canada were included in the common pool.
Total Canadian wagering was $5,383,588.
International simulcast handle, including common- and separate-pool wagering,
totaled $11,129,292. Outside of Canada, France led all common pool countries
with $2,089,003 wagered on the eight Breeders’ Cup races, and an additional
$1,336,932 in separate-pool wagering. International handle represented 9 percent
of the total handle. Wagering figures were reported from 20 countries.
The total pool for the Pick 6 was $4,586,700, up slightly from last year’s
total pool of $4,566,837. No one correctly selected all six races. There were 40
tickets containing five winners, good for a payout of $90,325.
The two Pick 4s on the Breeders’ Cup card showed significant increases
compared to 2004. The early Pick 4, comprising races 3-6, handled $1,770,023, up
72 percent from last year’s total of $1,032,983. The late Pick 4, comprising
races 7-10, handled $2,280,681, up 55 percent from last year’s total of
$1,466,130.