TurfPublicists: AQUEDUCT ON-TRACK HANDLE AND ATTENDANCE STRONG ON SATURDAY

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Contact: Dan Silver

AQUEDUCT ON-TRACK HANDLE AND ATTENDANCE STRONG ON SATURDAY

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Strong on-track handle and attendance trends continued at Aqueduct Racetrack on Saturday, aided by bus service provided by The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) and double rewards offered to new NYRA Rewards customers.

On-track handle on races at Aqueduct was $1,142,114. While Aqueduct did not have racing this week in 2009, Saturday’s on-track handle was up 29 percent from the $882,760 that was wagered on a comparable date from last year, Saturday, December 12, 2009.

On Saturday, a new high of 334 customers arriving at Aqueduct via the bus service being offered by NYRA contributed to a total attendance of 5,160, representing a 53 percent increase over last year’s comparable attendance of 3,378.

Despite the closure of New York City Off-Track Betting (NYCOTB) contributing to a 48 percent drop in intrastate wagering on Aqueduct’s Saturday card ($1,269,468 this year as opposed to $2,423,338 last year), all sources handle was only off 3.7 percent, $9,138,698 this year as compared to $9,491,999 last year.

“Today’s on-track handle and attendance numbers continued an encouraging trend,” said NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward. “We look forward to keeping the momentum going when live racing returns after the holiday break, including a planned expansion of the Belmont Café to accommodate additional customers.”

For a complete bus schedule and for more information on the new NYRA Rewards perks and to sign up for an account, customers can visit the following landing page: http://nyra.com/aqueduct/stories/NYRARewards.shtml

Founded in 1955, and franchised to run thoroughbred racing at New York’s three major tracks through 2033, NYRA boasts a lineage that actually stretches back almost 150 years. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of the state’s thoroughbred business which contributes more than $2 billion annually to New York State’s urban, suburban and rural economy. In 2009, more than 1.6 million people attended the live races at NYRA tracks. Factoring nationwide off-track wagering, the average daily betting handle on NYRA races alone totals more than $9.3 million every race day. NYRA has a vast network of websites, including www.nyra.com, www.belmontstakes.com, and www.nyragroupsales.com. You can also follow NYRA on social media platforms Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube.

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