A crowd of 60,114 turned out to Belmont Park on Saturday for the Belmont Stakes, down from nearly 90,000 last year, when interest in the race "was buoyed significantly by the popular and ultimately successful bid for a Triple Crown by American Pharoah," according to Matt Hegarty of DAILY RACING FORM. This year's attendance for Creator's win "compared favorably" with the '13 Belmont, the last time a Triple Crown was not on the line, when attendance was reported at 47,562. The NYRA said that on-track handle this year was $11.6M, down 31% compared with on-track wagering of $16.8M last year. All-sources betting on this year was down 37% compared with wagering on the race last year. Compared with betting on the race in '13, wagering this year was down 0.8%. Total betting on the 13-race card this year of $99.9M was down 26.5% compared with betting on last year’s 13-race card. But the total this year was "up significantly" compared to the 13-race card in '13, by 12.6%. Attendance was "capped at 90,000 last year to avoid large-scale logistical problems that plagued" the '14 running (DRF.com, 6/12).
PHAROAH EFFECT: In N.Y., Melissa Hoppert noted horse racing "has plenty of excuses to keep basking in the American Pharoah afterglow." The announced attendance at the Kentucky Derby last month was 167,227, just under the record of 170,513 in '15, and Preakness officials announced a record crowd of 135,256, a "bump" up from last year’s 131,680. To capitalize on American Pharoah’s Belmont victory, the NYRA "put tickets on sale in January." NYRA officials said that nearly 10,000 general-admission tickets were sold before the Preakness, and a total of more than 46,000 "had been sold for the Belmont as of Friday." Plus there are "other, less obvious ways to measure the American Pharoah effect." The Kentucky Derby Museum, which opened in '85 and had never experienced a Triple Crown, has seen a 23.9% "increase in attendance since September," and the overall revenue, from October through April, is up 42%. Sales of American Pharoah merchandise, compared with California Chrome items the year before, increased by 744% (N.Y. TIMES, 6/10).
